Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Inflammatory: Explanations & Tips

What is inflammatory PCOS?

PCOS can be grouped into several types depending on your primary symptom drivers. One of these is Inflammatory PCOS, which we’ll be exploring today. At the root of this type lies a natural immune reaction: inflammation.

Managing inflammatory PCOS requires addressing both systemic inflammation and insulin sensitivity. To help calm chronic inflammatory markers and support your cycle, explore SOVA’s high-potency Omega-3 alongside our Ovastart Myo-Inositol formula designed to balance hormones from within.

Inflammation: an immune reaction

Defending us against both external (viruses, bacteria, weather conditions, etc.) and internal (cells at the end of their life cycle, toxins from food) attacks, our immune system has several lines of defence.

The first lines of defence are our skin, serving as a shield, our various microbiomes (the bacteria and fungi housed by our bodies), and all of our secretions acting as protective barriers.

The second line of defence consists of a set of biochemical reactions, of which inflammation is a part.

Inflammation is a natural reaction of our immune system and of our body. It is triggered in response to aggression to the body, whether internal or external. This reaction then helps the body rid itself of pathogen elements that can cause dysfunctions. It also contributes to the repair of damaged tissues.

Inflammation occurs in three main stages (INSERM, Inflammation and diseases: keys to understanding, 2012):

• Detection: identification of intruders and damaged tissues (notably using substances generated by them);
• Elimination: substances released by injured tissues trigger a physical reaction that causes redness, pain, and heat. This stage involves immune cells, enzymes, and cytokines to destroy the aggressors. This is inflammation!
• Repair: once the intruders are eliminated, other reactions help repair damaged tissues.

That’s acute inflammation: useful and temporary. But when inflammation persists, we enter the realm of chronic inflammation.

Inflammation can manifest itself tangibly with such symptoms as pain (frequently), swelling, and redness, but also invisibly, more internally. Depending on the location of the inflammation, it changes its name. It is easy to recognize it thanks to suffixes in -itis: arthritis (joints), tendinitis, rhinopharyngitis (nose), otitis (ear), etc.

Chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation is long-lasting and signals that the immune system is struggling. It’s linked to many health issues, from cardiovascular disease to autoimmune disorders.

Several possible causes leading to chronic inflammation can be listed:

• The "aggressors" do not disappear despite the effectiveness of our protection system, for example: long exposure to pollutants, heavy metals, toxic substances,
• The immune system is weakened either because it is damaged at the cellular level or can no longer eliminate pathogens and wastes,
• In case of autoimmune disease, the immune system starts attacking healthy cells in the body and turning against itself as if it were an agent to be eliminated, creating chronic inflammations,
• Imbalances in our intestinal microbiota (abnormal presence of aggressive bacteria),
• Oxidative stress (through degradation of our cells into molecules which then become unstable and hard to eliminate, creating local inflammation) exacerbated by lifestyle habits: tobacco, alcohol, drugs, sedentary lifestyle, overweight, chronic stress, etc.

Chronic inflammation, unlike acute inflammation, can go unnoticed even on a blood test. Often, the person experiences symptoms which they will not necessarily link to this immune reaction:

• Chronic pain: joint, muscular, painful periods, headaches, etc.
• Various digestive disorders: alternating diarrhoea / constipation, sticky stools, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, etc.
• Persistent weight gain, or conversely, weight loss,
• Chronic fatigue,
• Recurring viral infections (chronic "winter" conditions, chronic mycoses or urinary tract infections, etc.),
• Chronic disease of any kind,
• Mood disorders, depression, anxiety.

This chronic inflammation can have negative consequences for both your overall health and your menstrual cycle!

How inflammation impacts hormones & PCOS

Chronic inflammatory reactions can impact our female hormones.

Indeed, hormonal production balance is fragile and can be easily disrupted through habits (stress, diet, lack of physical activity, etc.). Inflammation can interrupt communication between our endocrine glands (organs producing hormones), especially the pancreas, ovaries, adrenal glands, and the thyroid.

Menstrual cycles then get disrupted in terms of length, absence of ovulation, pain, heavier flow, etc.

👉 Curious about insulin’s role? Read our article on Insulin Resistance & PCOS.

The link between PCOS and inflammation

PCOS symptoms can be divided into four different categories that allow better management of the aggravating factors. These four types are: insulin-resistant PCOS, adrenal PCOS, inflammatory PCOS, and thyroid PCOS.

Today we are interested in inflammatory PCOS, which as the name suggests, is mainly aggravated by the phenomenon of inflammation. As we saw earlier, many mechanisms related to PCOS are caused or aggravated by the inflammatory response: insulin resistance, excessive production of androgens, and uncontrolled weight gain, amongst others.

This type of PCOS, like adrenal PCOS, is exacerbated by both physical and mental chronic stress. If you want to learn more about adrenal PCOS, head over to our adrenal PCOS guide.

Symptoms related to this chronic inflammation include: recurrent headaches, digestive pain, joint pain, inflammatory acne (red and painful), and persistent fatigue despite rest.

Impacts of chronic inflammation on fertility

Fertility in women is closely linked to the ovulation cycle and the ability to produce quality ovulation conducive to fertilisation. Various aspects of ovarian function, including ovulation, can be likened to an inflammatory process. Therefore, the ovulatory cycle is particularly sensitive to chronic inflammation, which can disrupt the whole process.

👉 Want to learn more? Check out our article on PCOS & fertility.

Managing inflammatory PCOS

To alleviate symptoms associated with inflammatory PCOS, several changes can be made such as: adopting an anti-inflammatory diet, learning to manage stress, and getting moving through regular enjoyable physical activity.

Support your digestion

The links between our diet and chronic inflammation are undeniable since the intestines are one of the main offices of our immune system and play a frontline role in eliminating intruders hidden in our diet.

Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet

A good dietary approach to managing PCOS symptoms will focus on managing chronic inflammation in two ways: through a decrease in pro-inflammatory food intakes and an increase in omega-3-rich foods like fatty fish and cold-pressed oils.

Managing stress and emotions

When you are subjected to prolonged stress, it causes an overproduction of stress hormones, especially cortisol, which triggers an immune system overdrive. Learning to better manage stress through breathing techniques, mindfulness, and relaxation can help lower inflammatory responses.

Get moving

Physical activity is a major determinant of health status. Studies have shown that increasing the frequency of moderate physical activities decreases chronic inflammation markers without spiking stress hormones.

Omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation

Combining dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids with high-quality EPA and DHA supplementation helps support insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, and hormonal balance in women with inflammatory PCOS.

Key takeaway

To briefly sum up, if you suffer from inflammatory PCOS, you can reduce your symptoms by:

• adopting an anti-inflammatory diet,
• improving your stress and emotion management through breathing techniques,
• engaging in regular (low-intensity) physical activity,
• supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids and myo-inositol.

If you need help determining your PCOS type and how to manage your symptoms naturally, do not hesitate to seek guidance from a healthcare professional or specialized nutritionist!