INFERTILITY AFFECTS MILLIONS OF WOMEN
Female infertility is quite common. And when you think about it, it’s not even all that surprising. After all, in order to make a baby, a woman’s body must:
- Have a good reserve of healthy eggs
- Mature the eggs properly within the ovaries at the right time and pace
- Have clear fallopian tubes so that both the egg and sperm can enter and meet
- Develop a plush lining in the uterus at the right time to welcome an embryo
- Allow proper implantation of the embryo
- Fully nourish the fetus throughout its development
- Carry it for the full term
Clearly, in order to give birth, an enormous number of things had to go right. But odds are, sometimes things go wrong. The good news is, your fertility specialist is an expert at zeroing in on exactly where things are going awry. And with today’s medicine and technology, there are countless ways to resolve a large number of fertility issues.
COMMON CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF INFERTILITY IN WOMEN
What are the factors that impact fertility in men and women? Dr. Patel explains that it can be everything from the timing of intercourse to lifestyle factors to disease or deficiencies in both men and women.
There are countless factors that can affect fertility in women. But some of the most common include the following:
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
Find out what causes PCOS and how it affects fertility. Our Dr. Patel walks you through the testing process and treatment protocols that have been successful with this challenge.
- Endometriosis.
Find out what causes the chronic, yet common, disease of endometriosis.
- Age.
At what age does fertility decline? What causes this and how can you increase your chance of pregnancy as you get older? Our Dr. Patel talks about age as the primary driver of infertility in most women and how to extend your biological clock with reproductive techniques.
It’s no secret that after age 30 a woman’s fertility starts to decline. As a result, the chance of genetic mutations and fetal abnormalities increases. Treatment most often involves checking that the embryos have the correct number of chromosomes.
- Blood-Clotting Disorders. Excessive clotting is associated with recurrent miscarriage as well as slow fetal growth and high blood pressure. Treatment frequently includes blood thinning medication.
- Fallopian Tube Damage. Typically sperm meets the egg in the fallopian tube and then the embryo continues the trip until it reaches the uterus. Damaged or blocked fallopian tubes can prevent this. Surgery or IVF is generally used to treat cases like this.
- Adenomyosis. This condition occurs when endometrial tissue, which lines the uterus, grows into the outer muscular tissue of the uterus causing structural issues. Treatment includes medication and, occasionally, surgery.
- Cancer. The disease itself, along with treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, can greatly diminish or damage sperm and eggs. To prevent this, many patients freeze their eggs or sperm for future use prior to receiving cancer treatment.
- Miscarriage. In many cases, miscarriage occurs because a fetus is developing abnormally, sometimes due to a chromosomal mismatch that is seen more frequently in older moms. Other times, hormonal or physiological issues are causing problems that interrupt the pregnancy. There are a number of ways to correct many of these conditions.
- Lifestyle. Everyone’s fertility is affected to some degree by their lifestyle. Some choices enhance the ability to get pregnant and some reduce it. Being over- or underweight, smoking, drinking alcohol, being sedentary, and even exposure to some plastics can all decrease fertility. Treatment includes proper diet, weight loss, moderate exercise, and avoiding harmful substance.
Wellness & Fertility article.
A couple, devastated by not being able to have a baby, came to AZARH hoping for an answer. Their case was diagnosed as male factor infertility. IVF was their answer. Learn about their emotional journey and what it took to become parents.