Perth PCOS Naturopath

Pink watercolour paint texture on paper for Tara Ross branding
Tara Ross, Perth Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Naturopath sitting outside under a green leafy tree

Do you have PCOS?

  • Never know when to expect your period?

  • Difficulty falling pregnant after stopping the Pill?

  • Hair where it shouldn’t be or thinning where it should be?

  • Painful pimples that finally subside, only for new ones to erupt?

  • Belly fat that seems impossible to shift?

If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, you could have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Perth naturopath Tara Ross can treat your PCOS to help regulate periods, optimise fertility, banish facial and body hair, have clear skin, and lose your spare tyre.

  • PCOS affects one in five Australian women and is caused by elevated levels of androgen hormones, which can result in difficulty ovulating.

    Untreated PCOS can also increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

  • PCOS symptoms include:

    • acne, often found on the jawline, neck and chest

    • thinning hair around the crown and temples, known as androgenic alopecia

    • excess facial or body hair (hirsutism)

    • apple shape weight gain around the waist that is difficult to shift

    • irregular or absent periods

    • difficulty falling pregnant due to erratic ovulation or failure to ovulate.

  • You may have been told your pelvic ultrasound showed polycystic ovaries and were subsequently diagnosed with PCOS.

    However, the term polycystic in PCOS can be misleading.

    ‘Poly’ means many and ‘cystic’ means ovarian follicles.

    Ovarian follicles contain your developing eggs that are each waiting their turn for ovulation.

    It is perfectly normal for you to have multiple follicles on both of your ovaries and not have PCOS.

    These normal follicles should not be mistaken for abnormal ovarian cysts that often require medical intervention.

    PCOS should only be diagnosed if you have:

    • absent or irregular periods and/or polycystic ovaries

    • plus elevated androgens on a blood test and/or symptoms of androgen excess, like hirsutism, which cannot be ruled out by other causes.

  • If you do not have elevated androgens, it is unlikely that you have PCOS.

    Elevated androgen levels can also be caused by:

    • high prolactin

    • congenital adrenal hyperplasia

    • certain types of oral contraceptive pills

    Absent or irregular periods can also be caused by:

    • functional hypothalamic amenorrhea

    • primary ovarian failure

    • Graves’ disease.

    All the above need to be ruled out before you receive a PCOS diagnosis.

  • The four types of PCOS are insulin resistant, pill induced, inflammatory, and adrenal PCOS.

    As a naturopath I can help to identify which one of the four different types of PCOS you have.

  • Commonly prescribed pharmaceutical medications such as the oral contraceptive pill and spironolactone, are band-aid approaches that only mask your symptoms whilst you take them and can have unwanted side effects. They also do not treat the most common type of PCOS, insulin resistant PCOS.

    Metformin does treat insulin resistant PCOS. However, it can have uncomfortable side effects and does not treat other types of PCOS.

    As a naturopath, I can treat your type of PCOS with natural alternatives to commonly prescribed pharmaceutical medications.

Tara Ross, Perth Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) Naturopath holding a bowl of salad in the kitchen

How can naturopathy treat PCOS?

To treat your PCOS effectively, it is important to know what type of PCOS you have. All four types of PCOS respond well to naturopathy. However, each type requires different treatment, and even within that type you could have differing health needs than others.

Naturopathy treats:

  • insulin resistant PCOS with diet and lifestyle modifications to balance blood sugar levels which increases insulin sensitivity

  • pill-induced PCOS with herbs and nutrients that help to decrease androgen levels to promote regular ovulation

  • inflammatory PCOS by removing causes of inflammation such as toxins and inflammatory foods, and treating autoimmunity, if present

  • adrenal PCOS by balancing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

I can develop a personalised treatment plan for you to treat your type of PCOS to help you:

  • have a more predictable menstrual cycle

  • optimise your fertility so you can increase your chances of falling pregnant

  • reduce facial and body hair

  • clear acne

  • shift abdominal weight.

Want a treatment plan for PCOS, tailored to your health needs?

What to expect during a hormone health consultation

Initial consultation - $195

During your initial 1-hour consult I will:

  • undertake comprehensive case taking of your health history and current symptoms so I can identify your individual health needs

  • discuss your health goals and life priorities so I can devise a treatment plan that is realistic, practical, and sustainable for you

  • analyse any recent test results and/or request functional pathology testing to help find the cause/s and most effective treatment options for your hormone health issue

  • provide you with a treatment plan including dietary and lifestyle advice, as well as evidence-based herbal and nutritional medicine, that is tailored to your unique health needs and goals.

Follow up consultations - $115

During monthly 30-min follow up consults I will:

  • review any functional pathology test results and monitor your progress to refine your treatment plan

  • provide support and guidance to keep you motivated and on track to reach your health goals

  • provide ongoing health education to give you the tools to manage your own hormone health once you have achieved your health goals.

Plate containing green veggies, egg and radish on a pink marble table

Let’s identify and treat your type of PCOS

I can help to assess if you have one of the four types of PCOS, or if another underlying health condition is causing your symptoms.