A
round the globe, there has never
been a more highly prescribed
medication than ‘the pill.’
More specifically described as the oral
contraceptive pill (OCP) or hormone birth
control, the pill once offered women great
hope and a way to reclaim their freedom. It
meant women didn’t have to be tied down
to the ‘dreaded cycle’ or be worried about
falling pregnant.
Over time, health experts have collected
data, analysed women and watched on,
wondering if the pill could be the reason
behind so many women’s health issues.
Now we’re beginning to wonder: is it all it’s
made out to be?
THE LOW-DOWN
The greatest issue I see with the pill is
not so much that it is used as a means of
contraception, but that it’s prescribed to
‘treat’ women’s health issues including
polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS),
endometriosis, period pain, acne, PMS
(premenstrual syndrome), missing periods,
heavy bleeding and headaches – just to
name a few.IF YOU DECIDE TO
CONTINUE TAKING THE
PILL, IT’S IMPERATIVE
TO SUPPORT THE BODY
AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE
TAKEN THE PILL TO
ADDRESS ISSUES SUCH
AS ACNE, AMENORRHEA
OR PERIOD PAIN.With the oral contraceptive pill being prescribed for a
range of health-related reasons other than contraception,
DR NAT KRINGOUDIS weighs in on the pros and cons of
this tiny capsule.
If you’re experiencing any of these
issues, you’ll be pleased to learn that it’s
not your body’s way of punishing you,
although it might feel that way at times.
These symptoms are, in fact, your body’s
unique way of communicating to you that
something fishy is going on. Moreover,
there’s something – typically within your
lifestyle – that is more than likely running
the show.
In almost all instances, these health
issues are treatable with simple dietary and
lifestyle changes – and with great success- but they’re not treatable by the pill. The
pill has never been able to treat hormonal
imbalance; it simply takes our hormones
‘offline’, which often allows our symptoms
to be halted.
For many, the pill has been an absolute
life saver; offering much needed relief
to a smorgasbord of hormone issues.
Sometimes we need a little space and time
to get our heads around a diagnosis such as
PCOS or endometriosis, especially in times
of debilitating pain. But when women stop
taking the pill, these problems often make
their return, sometimes tenfold.
As with all medications, we must also
ask ourselves two questions. Firstly, is it
treating the root cause or the symptom?
And secondly, what am I doing to support
my body while I am taking this medication?
Not asking ourselves these questions are
simple mistakes to make, because most of
us don’t consider the side effects. Most of us
don’t pick up the consumer medicine leaflet
that comes with the pill packet, which tells
us of all the possible implications it may
have. We simply trust it’s OK because our
doctor prescribed it and so many others are
doing it.
A FEW FACTS ABOUT THE PILL
Like all medications, the pill upsets our
gut health; it has its way with our good
gut bacteria and, over time, this can cause
a host of health issues including poor
immunity, imbalanced hormones and hasThe Low-Down
On The Pill
30 | AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH naturalhealthmag.com.au
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