PCOS / PMOS: What It Is, Symptoms & What Helps

Why I write about PCOS / PMOS

A healthy lifestyle has always interested me. Then PCOS / PMOS showed up in my own life, and it stopped being just an interesting topic.

I did everything by the book. A PCOS / PMOS-friendly diet, supplements, exercise, enough sleep. And still, the moment I loosened my routine even a little, the symptoms came right back. The same happened when I stopped taking birth control pills. I was basically the teacher’s pet of healthy living, and my body kept handing me the same exam.

I didn’t want to live like that. So I did what a psychologist does best: I went down the rabbit hole. First for myself, then for the women I work with.

This guide is everything I’ve learned along the way: what PCOS / PMOS is, how it affects your body and mind, and what can actually help in everyday life. I’ll also talk about the piece that most guides skip, which is your nervous system.

PCOS is now PMOS. Wait, what?

Yes, it’s the same condition with a new name. In May 2026, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was officially renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), after a global consensus published in The Lancet.

Why? The old name made it sound like the whole thing was about cysts on the ovaries. In reality, several hormonal systems and your metabolism are involved, and plenty of women with the diagnosis don’t have cysts at all.

The change is being rolled out slowly over the next few years, so both names are floating around right now. That’s why you’ll see PCOS / PMOS everywhere on this blog.

What is PCOS / PMOS?

PCOS / PMOS is a common hormonal condition in women of reproductive age. Around 5–10% of women have it, and some estimates are higher (source needed).

Think of your hormones as an orchestra. With PCOS / PMOS, some of the instruments play out of sync, and the result shows up as irregular cycles, acne, extra hair growth, low mood or anxiety. In the long run it can also affect your fertility and your metabolic health.

Why does it happen? Nobody knows for sure yet. Researchers point to a mix of genes and environment.

To diagnose it, doctors use the Rotterdam criteria. You need two out of these three:

no ovulation or very infrequent ovulation,
signs of excess androgens (the so-called “male hormones”), either in symptoms or in blood tests,
polycystic ovaries on an ultrasound.

Other things that can come along are hirsutism (extra hair growth), acne, hair thinning and weight gain. Only a doctor can diagnose PCOS / PMOS, so if you recognise yourself here, please book an appointment. Dr Google doesn’t count.

How PCOS / PMOS can show up in your daily life

It’s so much more than “fertility issues”. It touches your body, your mind and your emotions, usually all at once.

Irregular cycles. The classic sign. It comes from ovulation not happening as it should, and over time it can affect your fertility and other areas of health.

Extra hair growth. Hair on the face and body, often linked to higher androgen levels. It can hit your self-esteem harder than people admit.

Skin trouble. Acne and oily skin can make you feel 15 again, and not in a good way.

Weight and insulin resistance. Many women with PCOS / PMOS find weight hard to manage, often because of insulin resistance. Left alone, it can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. It also messes with the way you see your own body.

Tiredness and bad sleep. Hormones out of balance and a stressed nervous system can leave you exhausted, even when you’ve done “everything right”.

The numbers vary between studies, but they show how far-reaching this is:

about 70–80% of women with PCOS / PMOS have irregular periods and ovulation problems,
about 70–80% have insulin resistance,
about 40–60% experience anxiety disorders,
the risk of depression is about twice as high.

[Source needed for these figures]

It’s more than hormones

When you get the diagnosis, two feelings usually show up at the same time. Relief, because finally you know what’s going on. And then a little fear: “Will it always be this hard for me now?”

So here’s what I want you to remember. Your body is not your enemy. PCOS / PMOS is not a punishment. Think of your body as a friend who keeps tapping you on the shoulder because she needs something.

And what she needs is more than a hormone fix. PCOS / PMOS involves your metabolism, your nervous system, your emotions, your lifestyle and your stress levels. Medical care matters and so does a healthy diet, but medication alone or a super-strict diet is often not enough. Your body also needs calm, rest and a bit of balance.

The nervous system: the missing piece

Think of a car. Your nervous system has a gas pedal and a brake. The gas pedal (the sympathetic system) is your stress response: heart racing, muscles tense, stress hormones like cortisol flowing. Great when a bus is coming straight at you. The brake (the parasympathetic system) is rest and recovery, the mode where your body repairs itself.

The trouble starts when your foot stays on the gas for months. Deadlines, family tension, too little sleep, the pressure to be perfect, or old experiences your body still files under “danger”. It’s like a smoke alarm that can’t tell burnt toast from a real fire.

What does research say about PCOS / PMOS and stress? Women with PCOS / PMOS more often report high stress, anxiety and depression. Some studies also point to an overactive stress response, such as more activity of the “fight or flight” side of the nervous system and lower heart rate variability (a measure of how flexibly your body can switch gears). Chronic stress can also disturb ovulation and make blood sugar and insulin harder to manage.

So is stress a cause of PCOS / PMOS, a result of it, or both? Scientists are still working on it, and it’s probably both. Living with symptoms is stressful, and stress makes symptoms louder. What I see again and again is women who do all the “right” things with food and supplements, but whose nervous system never got the memo that it’s safe to relax. That’s why I look at the whole picture, not only at your plate.

Want to go deeper? I wrote about my own approach in Trauma and PCOS / PMOS.

Understand it instead of fighting it

Many women with PCOS / PMOS spend years in constant battle mode. They try to “fix” themselves with the perfect plan, the next strict diet, the numbers in yet another app. It’s exhausting, and honestly it doesn’t sound like much fun.

Often the way forward is not more control, but more understanding. When you start listening to your body instead of judging it, you notice that her signals make sense. Fatigue, irritability, bad sleep and mood swings are not random. They’re your body’s way of asking for calm.

It can start with very small things:

choosing fresh, unprocessed food most of the time,
going for a daily walk,
moving in a way you enjoy (for many women that’s dance, here’s how to start),
reading a book instead of scrolling. Yes, an actual book, the paper thing.

Small changes, big effect. Not only on your hormones, but also on your sense of safety and emotional balance.

Sleep and PCOS / PMOS

Many women with PCOS / PMOS struggle with sleep, and bad sleep makes everything else louder. Too little of it raises cortisol, the stress hormone, and can increase insulin resistance and inflammation. You’ve probably heard the saying, “What you don’t sleep off at night, you’ll eat up during the day.” There’s a lot of truth in it: when you’re tired, your appetite and cravings go up, and weight management gets harder.

A few simple tips:

Keep the same sleep schedule. Same bedtime and wake-up time every day, yes, even on weekends. Your body loves a boring routine.
Create a bedtime routine. A book, a warm bath, a bit of meditation. You can’t land a plane without slowing it down first, and your brain works the same way.
Give blue light a break. Phones, TVs and laptops can mess with melatonin, the sleep hormone. Switch screens off an hour before bed, or at least use night mode. Your phone will survive without you for an hour.
Make your bedroom a cave. Cool, dark and well aired.
Move during the day. It helps you fall asleep more easily, just skip the intense workout right before bed.

Good sleep feels sooooo good, and it’s free. Small steps really can make a big difference.

Eating disorders and PCOS / PMOS

This one is serious, so I’ll keep it simple. Research suggests that women with PCOS / PMOS are more likely to develop eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder, by some estimates several times more likely (source needed). Here’s why your relationship with food can get complicated.

Emotions. How you handle feelings plays a huge role in how you eat. For some women, food becomes a way to calm tension when emotions are hard to recognise or process.

Hormones. PCOS / PMOS can affect appetite, metabolism and weight. Struggling with weight can push you towards extreme calorie restriction, binge eating or purging.

Body image. Extra hair growth, acne and weight changes can chip away at your self-esteem. Feeling unattractive and focusing obsessively on how you look raises stress, and stress can lead to unhealthy eating habits.

It can turn into a vicious circle. Unhealthy eating habits can make insulin resistance worse, disturb carbohydrate metabolism and raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and other complications.

The good news is that you can break out of it. The first step is awareness, and noticing is already a big achievement. Surround yourself with support and reach out to your doctor or a therapist who works with eating disorders. There is nothing embarrassing about asking for help, and you deserve it.

Chemicals that mess with your hormones

According to recent studies, some chemicals, called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), may contribute to the development and severity of PCOS / PMOS. You can’t avoid them completely, and no, you don’t need to throw your whole kitchen in the bin. But a few simple swaps help.

1. Phthalates. They hide in cosmetics, perfumes, cleaning products and plastic packaging. Research on animals and human cells shows they can disrupt hormonal balance, and a study in Environmental Health Perspectives found that exposure may raise the risk of PCOS / PMOS by affecting sex hormone levels and metabolism.

Look for cosmetics and body care products labelled phthalate-free.
Skip plastic food containers and bottles marked with recycling code 3.
Choose products with fewer artificial ingredients, for example fragrance-free ones.

2. Bisphenol A (BPA). It’s in plastic bottles, canned food, food containers, adhesives, paints and varnishes. According to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, BPA can mimic estrogen and may make PCOS / PMOS symptoms worse.

Don’t heat food or drinks in plastic containers.
Choose bottles and containers labelled “BPA-free”.
Use glass instead of plastic whenever you can.

3. Pesticides. Some of them, such as DDT and pyrethroid insecticides, are believed to disrupt hormonal balance and may contribute to PCOS / PMOS.

Buy organic or local food when you can.
Wash and peel fruit and vegetables well.
Stay away from areas heavily sprayed with pesticides, like big farms.

The full link between EDCs and PCOS / PMOS isn’t completely understood yet, but the research points to a potential risk. A few smart swaps, a balanced diet and regular movement are a good way to look after your hormonal health.

Studies:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5359373/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6366440/

Where to start: the “PCOS Stress Reset” ebook

If your body keeps sending you messages but you can’t quite translate them yet, my ebook “PCOS Stress Reset” is a good place to begin. It’s not just another “PCOS / PMOS guide”. It’s gentle support to help you change things with ease, understanding and a lot of self-compassion.

Inside you’ll:

understand how your body works with PCOS / PMOS,
learn how to support your hormones with small, realistic changes,
discover how stress and emotions affect your health.

How I work with women

I work with women not only in the dance studio, but outside of it too. I help them change their lifestyle step by step, so they feel great in their own skin. If you’d like to start with movement, come and dance with me in Zurich or online: dance classes in Zurich.

PCOS / PMOS doesn’t define you. You don’t have to fight it, just start listening to yourself with a little more care.

Take care of yourself!

This article is for information only and does not replace medical advice. If you suspect PCOS / PMOS or have symptoms that worry you, please talk to your doctor.