Understanding Infertility Causes in Men & Women!
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Introduction
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Female Infertility, Types
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Causes for Infertility in women
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Factors to Consider that Affects Fertility
WHO defines infertility as a reproductive system disease of the reproductive system determined by the failure to conceive after twelve months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. In common parlance, it may be defined as the incapability of either a male or female, depending on the need.
In some rare cases, it is due to issues with both of them, to conceive without taking birth control pills, requiring female infertility treatment or male infertility treatment The time duration to determine if there are infertility issues is considered twelve months however, in cases, where the woman is above 35 and has had no success in conceiving in spite of having regular unprotected coitus for more than six months then an infertility evaluation is required.
A minimum period of one year is required to diagnose infertility. Also, women above 40, who are planning on having a baby, it is highly recommended to consult a Doctor. If you fall in this category and are wondering what you should be doing next then, it is recommended to go visit your Obstetrician / Gynecologist who would do the primary-level check and most often than not medical intervention is required then, it is recommended to visit a fertility specialist.
The two kinds of infertility are-
Primary infertility – when a woman has never conceived in the past and is having problems conceiving now.
Secondary infertility – in the past when a woman had one or more pregnancies and is facing problems conceiving now.
And, in some cases recurrent miscarriages, Doctors suggest Fertility Treatment for Recurrent Miscarriage.
Causes
Now, let’s come to causes for Infertility in women – the most common cause for infertility in women is due to problems with ovulation. Ovulation is the releasing of a mature egg from the ovary on a monthly basis. It moves down to the Fallopian tube, so that fertilization can happen. Due to some issues eggs are not getting released and at times only in some cycles eggs do not get released. The problem of egg not getting released could be due to
· PCOS – Polycystic ovary syndrome that would require polycystic ovary syndrome treatment based on their condition and whether the patient wants to conceive then she might require PCOS fertility treatment otherwise normal symptom-based treatment is proposed.
· Thyroid problems – an overactive thyroid gland and an under-active thyroid gland could block ovulation.
· Premature ovarian failure – before the age of 40 when the ovaries stop working.
Damaged during surgery – surgery to the pelvic region can damage the Fallopian tubes. They connect ovaries to the tube
Damage can also happen during cervical surgery. As it can cause the cervix (neck of the womb) to shorten.
Cervical Mucus issue – during ovulation mucus in the cervix gets thin so that the sperm can navigate / move easily to the egg. Any problem with the mucus would lead to difficulties in conceiving.
Fibroid – Fibroid is a benign tumor growth in or around the uterus. They are made of muscle strength. They may lead to infertility issues, as they could prevent a fertilized egg from attaching itself to the uterus or they could block the Fallopian tube.
Endometriosis – it is a condition when the tissue (the endometrium) that lines the uterus grows outside the womb, like in the ovaries. As the ovaries or the fallopian tubes get damaged they cause fertility issues. Endometriosis treatment needs to be done.
Pelvic inflammatory disease – Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a condition when the upper genital tract of a female gets infected. The upper genital tract area consists of the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
The main cause for Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are sexually transmitted infections (STI). The damage and scar of the PID is on the Fallopian tubes. With the Fallopian tubes damaged, it is almost impossible for the egg to travel down into the womb.
Sterilisation – Sterilisation is a choice made by women and not a condition, disease or disorder. They opt for sterilization as they do not want to have children. Sterilisation process involves blocking of the fallopian tubes thus, making it almost impossible for the egg to travel to the womb. The results from reverse sterilization have been encouraging, in other words reverse sterilization does not guarantee that the woman will conceive.
Factors to Consider that Affects Fertility
Medication effect on fertility – Some drugs and medicines can adversely affect fertility.
Chemotherapy – chemotherapy is the main treatment for cancer. Strong medication that is used for Chemotherapy can sometimes cause failure of the ovaries. What happens here is that ovaries are no longer able to function properly. In these cases, prior to starting treatment eggs to be frozen, you could consider this option Egg Freezing Clinics in Hyderabad.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – long-term usage of NSAIDs or high doses of these, are known to have an effect on fertility.
Neuroleptic medicines- medicines to treat antipsychotic conditions, particularly treatment of psychosis can lead to infertility.
Spironolactone – medication used to treat oedema (fluid retention in the body) can also cause fertility issues. The effect on fertility would completely wane around 2 months after stopping the medication.
Substance abuse – consumption of illegal drugs, like cocaine and marijuana can have a serious effect on fertility, thus leading to complications in ovulation.
Alcohol and smoking – Consumption of too much alcohol can adversely affect chances of conceiving. Experts put the cap at two to four drinks per week. Higher the level of alcohol intake, the more time it would take to get pregnant.
Smoking – smoking including passive smoking would reduce the quality of semen, affecting your chances of parenthood.
Age- Fertility and age are inversely proportional. As age increases, fertility comes down.
Stress- keep away from stress, if you are planning a baby. Stress levels are known to have an effect on sperm production and ovulation, requiring ovulation induction treatment.
Weight – Fat or obese people (people with BMI over 30) have been noted to have fertility issues. Women who are severely under-weight or overweight have infertility problems, particularly issues with ovulation and in the case of men, it affects their sperm production.
Semen and sperm – an extremely common reason for infertility in men is due to the substandard quality of semen. Semen is the liquid that contains sperms. Sperms attach themselves to the egg to cause fertilization.
Common reasons for this
Sperm Dearth – having a very low count or no sperm making it difficult to conceive
Immovable sperm – sperm that is not able to move itself to attach to the egg
Abnormal shape – if they are oddly shaped it gets difficult for the sperm to swim to the egg
Testicles – The production and storing of the sperms happens here. Any damage to this can damage the semen quality as well. The common reasons for that are infections, testicular surgery, testicular cancer, congenital testicular defect or any injury to the testicles.
Sterilisation – Just like in female sterilisation. Male sterilisation is a choice made by men and not a condition, disease or disorder. They opt for sterilization as they do not want to have children. The tubes that carry the sperm out of the testicles are cut and sealed, then the semen will no longer contain the
Ejaculation disorders – men with ejaculation problems find it difficult to release semen during intercourse, leading to problems conceiving.
Hypogonadism – it is a condition where there are extremely low levels of testosterone. Testosterone is the male sex hormone involved in making the sperm. It could be caused due to a tumor, or taking illegal drugs.
Medicines and drugs – certain medicines like anti-inflammatory medicines, chemotherapy and illegal drugs like marijuana and cocaine can affect semen quality.
Unexplained infertility – When no medical cause is identified in either partner, it is called unexplained infertility. Women who have been identified as having “unexplained infertility” are recommended to go for IVF treatment after having 2 years of regular intercourse but unable to conceive.
Infertility can be treated in vivid means, such as using fertility medication, artificial insemination, surgery, or advanced reproductive technology.
If you are concerned about your fertility & have been trying to get pregnant without success , MotherToBE fertility Center is here for you. Not getting pregnant, the aforementioned factors could be the reason and if you would like to know more about infertility and the fertility treatments we offer, you can browse the treatment pages on our website. For further advice and support from top fertility experts, please contact our support team to arrange a consultation.