Uncovering How Hormonal Imbalances Affect Fertility Potential in Women?
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Which hormones have an impact on female fertility?
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What causes a hormonal imbalance?
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Common signs of a hormonal imbalance
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How can a hormonal imbalance affect your fertility?
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Treating Hormonal Imbalance to Increase the Likelihood of Getting Pregnant
One of the factors that can affect your chances of conceiving is an imbalance of hormones. The endocrine glands in the body produce signaling molecules called hormones responsible for controlling cells to perform specific functions.
Hormones play a key role in monitoring and performing some crucial processes such as preserving body temperature, regulating metabolism, fertility, and aiding in the growth & development of the organs.
Some significant hormones that control menstruation and reproduction in women include estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Hence, the hormones released from our endocrine glands need to be extremely accurate & balanced for flawless functioning of our body. Any imbalance in the hormones leads to further consequences affecting overall health of a woman.
Whether you are trying to get pregnant for a while now, or just setting off your journey towards conception, then knowing better how hormones impact your fertility and what can you do to balance them or minimize/eliminate issues could be a wise step.
Which hormones have an impact on female fertility?
When it comes to pregnancy there are a few hormones come into play. As different hormones impact female fertility, it could be very challenging to address hormone-related infertility in women. However, in many cases with the right adjustments and care will ultimately lead to easier conception.
Following are some of the most significant hormones that impact your ability to become pregnant:
Thyroid hormones—there are various hormones produced by the thyroid, and notably T3-triiodothyronine and T4-thyroxine hormone primarily impact metabolic rate & digestion and they are even inextricably tied to reproduction. Thyroid dysfunction also leads to hyperprolactinemia.
Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)—AMH is produced by ovarian follicles which contain immature eggs. Its key function is to support the immature eggs. Measuring AMH levels aids in predicting how many eggs are remaining in the ovaries of a woman.
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)—FSH is directly linked to your fertility and its primary function is to help regulate the menstrual cycle & induce the production of eggs. Women having ovarian dysfunction often have higher FSH levels.
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)—LH signals the body to release a mature egg. Luteinizing hormone levels generally surge immediately prior to ovulation.
Estrogen—this hormone controls the timing of menstrual cycle. If you have more estrogen levels than normal then you might have trouble predicting ovulation which further complicates conception.
Progesterone—Progesterone is essential to maintaining the pregnancy and it aids the uterus build a nourishing lining for a potential baby in turn helps support an embryo and also regulates your mood. The women who have low progesterone levels often experience recurrent miscarriages.
Prolactin—prolactin hormone is critical to the production of breast milk, and it also plays a major role in becoming pregnant. If a woman’s prolactin levels are abnormal, they will likely experience cycle irregularity, in turn cause ovulation issues and ultimately with conception.
What causes a hormonal imbalance?
Today, Women often fall victim to hormonal imbalances and experience this issue during their puberty, menstruation and pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause, peri and post menopause.
The major reasons for hormonal imbalances in women are due to:
- Stress
- Unhealthy diet, lifestyle
- Diabetes
- Sleeping issues
- Thyroid imbalance
- Lack of exercise
The two common causes of fertility-related hormonal imbalance are PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) and thyroid dysfunction. Either conditions could make getting & staying pregnant without medical intervention more difficult.
Common signs of a hormonal imbalance
- Irregularity in menstrual cycles
- Irregular bleeding or spotting
- Acne
- Unwanted facial & body hair growth
- Male-pattern hair loss
- Unexplained weight gain
- Extreme mood changes
While every woman is different and some women with hormonal imbalances may not show any outward signs and majority of them do have one or more symptoms. It is better to discuss your concerns with your physician or a fertility specialist.
How can a hormonal imbalance affect your fertility?
As various hormones impact your ability to conceive and maintain a pregnancy, it is clear that a hormonal imbalance could cause an array of fertility challenges. The most common female fertility issues linked to hormonal imbalance are:
Ovarian Dysfunction—Numerous hormone-related abnormalities, including imbalances in thyroid hormones and PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) can affect the regularity of ovulation or prevent it altogether. When ovulation is interrupted, getting pregnant is unlikely, as there is no egg to fertilize.
Short Luteal Phases—the time period that immediately follows the ovulation is called the luteal phase. The length of the luteal phase is controlled by the progesterone hormone and it maintains the thickness & strength of the uterine lining. The average luteal phase time period is 13-14 days, if a woman’s luteal phase is shorter than 10 days then a fertilized embryo may not be able to implant hence prevents pregnancy.
Treating Hormonal Imbalance to Increase the Likelihood of Getting Pregnant
There are different ways to treat a hormonal imbalance and increase the likelihood of conception and maintaining pregnancy. Hormonal imbalances treatments are highly customized as each patient is unique and hormonal imbalance is different. When it comes to medications, they are commonly used to:
- Normalize hormone levels
- Restore thyroid function
- Induce ovulation
- Stimulate the release of a mature egg
HRT-Hormone Replacement Therapy may also be recommended by the doctors based on your needs to get your hormones in balance.
Sometimes hormonal imbalances may also be caused due to obesity or not getting enough physical exercise. Depending on the blood test results of a woman, doctors may suggest some lifestyle changes to balance your hormones, related to your diet, exercise, other therapies, and prescribe needed supplements.
Hormones are varied and highly interactive. So, analyzing a hormonal imbalance and its potential impact on female fertility could be challenging. Don’t need to exhaust your physical and emotional energies, MotherToBe fertility center can provide the answers you require to take control of your fertility.
Early intervention provides the best chances of success of fertility treatments, so let’s help you get started.
To have a simple fertility evaluation, schedule an appointment with us!