9 Causes Of Female Infertility!

Female reproductive process is very difficult to understand.

In order to get pregnant, each and every step, from the release of an egg from ovaries to fertilization to implantation of fertilized egg and growth in the womb has to happen precisely.

In women, various factors can trigger this procedure at any stage. Here are the possible causes of female infertility:

Ovulation factors:

Ovulation factors are one of the causes of female infertility and is responsible in about 52% of the infertile couple. Ovulation problems are mainly due to changes in the reproductive hormones produced by the pituitary gland, hypothalamus or due to the troubles in the ovary itself.

You are said to have ovulation problems if you ovulate irregularly or completely stops ovulating.

Here is the list of ovulation disorders that are the main causes of female infertility:

1. Polycystic ovary syndrome: In women with PCOS, great changes occur in their pituitary gland, ovary and hypothalamus and causes overproduction of male hormones called as androgens, which affects ovulation. PCOS is also linked to obesity and insulin resistance.

2. Premature ovarian failure (POF): It is due to the autoimmune response where your body can mistakenly attacks the ovarian tissues. POF destroys the egg in the ovary and also decreases production of estrogen.

3. Abnormal LH and FSH secretion: LH and FSH are responsible for egg release in each month. LH, luteinizing hormone and FSH, follicle stimulating hormone are released by the pituitary gland every month during the menstrual cycle.

Excess emotional or physical stress, very low or high body weight can disrupt this production. Main cause for this problem is irregular or missed menstrual cycle which are the main causes of female infertility.

4. Luteal phase defect: Insufficient production of progesterone hormone after ovulation can result in luteal phase defect. Progesterone hormone is essential in preparing the uterine lining for implantation of fertilized egg.

5. Endometriosis: Endometriosis causes uterine tissue to implant and grow in other locations. Surgical removal of this extra tissue can cause scarring, which disturbs your fertility. Studies showed that excess tissue growth can also interfere with conception.

6. Uterine abnormalities: Women in their 30’s are more likely to get tumors or polyps in the uterus. This can disturbs fertility by blocking the fallopian tubes or by disturbing implantation. Scarring in the uterus can disrupt implantation. Also, women who born with some abnormalities like bicornate uterus will have problems in becoming pregnant.

7. Fallopian tube damage: Damaging or blocking of the fallopian tubes can cause sperm not to combine with the egg. Main causes behind fallopian tube damage include:

• Swelling of fallopian tubes due to gonorrhea or Chlamydia


• Have had ectopic pregnancy, in which egg implants and develops in the fallopian tube


• Abdominal or pelvic surgery
  

8. Cervical blockage: Also called as cervical stenosis. This condition is due to hereditary defects or cervical damage. This condition results in the inability of cervix to produce mucus for sperm mobility and fertilization. Sometimes, cervical opening can be closed that results in sperm from not reaching the egg.

9. Unexplained infertility: During some instances, causes of female infertility can not be determined. But, the couple with unexplained infertility can get spontaneous pregnancy when compared to all the infertile couple.

5 Tips To Produce Healthy Sperm!

Infertility is a condition that both the man and woman should undergo examination.

Most of the people think that the problem is only related to women, but is certainly wrong.

Fertility problems associated with men can also create difficulties when trying to conceive.

About 75% of male fertility problems are due to unhealthy sperm production and low sperm count. So, every man should carefully go with healthy diet, daily workouts and good lifestyle habits.

The greater the men can do to prevent fertility problems, the more it will help them in healthy sperm production. Here are five tips that help you in healthy sperm production and also increase your sperm count.

1. Maintain healthy weight:

Healthy diet and exercise are essential for healthy living. Studies showed that having BMI less than 20 or greater than 25 can lead to unhealthy sperm production or low sperm count. So, practice workouts regularly and stay healthy.

2. Stress and relaxation:

Stress causes negative impact on everyone. So, reduce stress and try to relax more and more when you are trying to conceive. Stress causes low sperm count and also decreases your sex drive. Practice regular exercise, relaxing music, herbal teas, yoga, or any other method that makes your stress go away.

3. Good habits:

Drinking, smoking and usage of illegal drugs can influence your sperm production and lead to low sperm count. Research has showed that smoking is related to sperm health. Smoking causes DNA damage to sperm and lead to birth defects.

Alcohol consumption can lead to male impotence and illegal drugs can impact the sperm negatively. The most important thing that you should know is it takes complete three months for the development of healthy sperm.

So, people who are trying to conceive should keep this in mind act accordingly with your actions and your behavior. To produce strong and healthy sperm, quit smoking and avoid drug usage for three months before you are trying to conceive. Also, don’t exceed drinks more than two a day.

4. Exposure to heat and sun:

Research showed that exposure to heat and sun is actually related in a positive way to testosterone levels, which means that natural exposure to sun can cause healthy sperm production. Also, avoid over exposure to heat. Excess heat causes testicles to create low sperm count.

Also, avoid very hot baths when you are trying to conceive. Last but not the least, avoid working with your laptop by keeping it in your lap.

5. Check your sexual activity:

It is wrong assumption that when you are trying to conceive you need to have sex all the time. This can lead to negative effect on your chances of conceiving. Studies showed that ejaculation more than twice a day can decrease your fertility. It takes some time for the sperm to regenerate in your body and to create healthy sperm count for ejaculation

12 Amazing Sex Benefits For Your Health!

Sex has much more to it than most of us think and know. Do you know that sex is a type of physical activity?

Having sex thrice a week can burn lot of calories and if you maintain it throughout the year, it is equivalent to jogging 75 miles.

Studies showed that an active sex life helps you live longer. Your body’s organs and systems function better and remain healthy because sexual activity improves oxygen supply to the cells and boosts the activities of various organs and systems.

The benefits of sex are not anecdotal. Each of these sex benefits for health is proved by scientific scrutiny.

Here are the benefits of love making in a relationship:

1. Sex as immunity booster

Good sexual health always gives better physical health. Having sex thrice a week can boost the levels of antibody called as IgA or immunoglobulin A. IgA can protect you against colds and other infections. Research conducted on people who have had sex once or twice a week showed that these people contain 30% higher levels of IgA.

2. Sex improves your cardiovascular health

You may notice that whenever you feel sexually aroused, there is a great increase in your heart and breathing rates. The main reason behind this is your body prepares for the act of sex by increasing blood flow to the genitals. This increases adrenaline in your bloodstream.

Once the orgasm is achieved, you will release a hormone called as oxytocin. Oxytocin has various health benefits such as it lowers your blood pressure. Lowering the blood pressure means that you are at less risk of heart attack and stroke.

3. Sex controls your bladder

Have you heard of kegel exercises? The muscles which work during the sexual activity are the same that work while doing kegel exercise.

4. Sex as pain reliever

You know that sex increases the hormone oxytocin in your blood. Again oxytocin increases increases endorphins, which gives pain relief. Also, higher oxytocin levels can give you relief from headaches, PMS symptoms and arthritis pain.

5. Stress makes pelvic floor muscles strong

As kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, the same way sex can also make those muscles strong. Strong pelvic floor muscles can reduce the risk of incontinence in later life.

6. Sex as sleep booster

Oxytocin hormone can also promote good sleep. So, getting enough sleep can give you various benefits such as you can maintain healthy weight and blood pressure. Endorphins and oxytocin can also act like natural sedatives.

7. Sex as stress reliever

One of the greatest health benefits of sex is lowering the blood pressure and reducing the stress. Women with higher levels of oxytocin are usually calm, more relaxed and less stressful than others.

Studies showed that higher levels of estrogen boost the calming effect of oxytocin, whereas testosterone may counteract it.

8. Sex as anti-depressant

Endorphins that release your pain can also make you feel euphoric after the sexual activity or masturbation.

9. Sex enhances your spirituality

Sex not only helps you to gain deeper sense of yourself, but also you can experience an energy that feeds various other areas of your life. Many who consider of sex as a spiritual practice told that they have a stronger sense of self and of their relationships.

10. Sex improves sense of smell

Sex improves the production of hormone called as prolactin. This again causes stem cells in your brain to develop new neurons in brain’s olfactory bulb, which is the smell center.

11. Sex promotes weight loss

Sex nothing but physical activity burns 200 calories, which is same as running 15 minutes on a treadmill. When you are sexually aroused, your pulse rate raises from 70 beats per minute to 150, which is same as that an athlete putting out maximum effort.

Muscle contractions during the sexual activity make your thighs, pelvis, arms, neck, buttocks and throat work together. Sex increases the production of testosterone hormones, which strengthens your muscles and bones.

12. Sex improves blood flow

When you are sexually aroused, the blood starts to pump at quicker rate and also the flow increases to your brain. Increased heart rate and increased blood flow can result in better performance. The fresh supply of blood pumping through your body provides the organs with a healthy dose of oxygen and rids the body of old and wasteful products. This means sex also helps in cleaning your body system.

Acupuncture For Treating Infertility!

Want to try an alternative treatment to cure your infertility?

Then consider acupuncture. The idea behind acupuncture for infertility is that acupuncture regulates the blood supply for sexual organs and readjusts the hormones present in your body.

Acupuncture for infertility is most commonly applied when you are experiencing functional issues like fluctuating ovulation, endometriosis, or hormonal imbalances.

During some cases, acupuncture can be used as a supplemental procedure for in vitro fertilization (IVF). During IVF, acupuncture helps you to relax the uterus while transferring the embryo.

On the other hand, acupuncture can not be effective in treating structural problems such as blocked fallopian tubes, or improperly formed epididymis, which leads to infertility.

How acupuncture works for infertility?

Acupuncture is the insertion of ultra-thin, sterile needles in particular acupuncture points on your body, which exist in channels or meridians. Meridians are the pathways in both the exterior and interior of your body.

Acupuncture stimulates the energy points that are considered to be central to your spiritual, mental, physical and emotional balance. For treating infertility, acupuncture needles are placed in energy points that are connected to your reproductive organs in order to improve the energy flow to these areas.

If the causes of infertility in women include: lack of energy, excessive stress or unregulated menstrual flow, then acupuncture for infertile women mainly targets on the meridians for the heart, kidney and liver.

Kidneys can provide your body with sufficient energy, so treating this area give you more energy that you need to offer a baby.

Treating the liver meridians can regulate your menstrual flow and also diminishes the psychological effects of PMS, anxiety and depression.

The heart system is considered to be related to a person’s emotional state. Applying acupuncture to these meridians helps to reduce the stress and allows relaxation and also help throughout your conception.

When you get treatment for all these areas, your egg quality greatly improves, uterine lining becomes healthy, menstrual flow regulates, and achieves hormonal balance.

According to the western medicine, the most common causes for infertility include: PCOS, hormone imbalance, ovulation irregularities. PCOS occurs when your ovaries produce higher levels of male hormone.

This again generates imbalance in your whole hormone levels. This can greatly impede your egg production and lead to the formation of cysts in your ovaries thus decreasing or stopping the ovulation.

During this case, acupuncture helps to rebalance your body’s system and increase the blood flow to reproductive organs to restore your ovarian functionality. This increased blood flow thickens the endometrium, which is the lining of the uterus. Thus it creates a fertile environment for the egg to grow.

Abnormal thyroid functioning and overweight are also the causes of infertility. Undergoing acupuncture can rebalance your body’s forces and help to regulate your thyroid function and also reduce the weight.

When you seek acupuncture treatment for infertility, following proper timing consistency is very important. In order to get best results, one to two sessions a week for three to six months is essential.

How Diet And Fertility Link Together?

Diet and fertility always go hand in hand.

Three out of every seven people in USA are infertile with unknown cause. For those people, diet helps a lot.

There are certain foods that can help boost your fertility, whereas some others can harm.

Healthy diet - Foods you need to eat

Healthy diet is the key when you are trying to conceive. You should take healthy and balanced meals that contain foods from all food groups.

Fruits, vegetables, whole wheat, organic foods can help increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Foods from these groups contain minerals and vitamins, which have major role in conception and baby development.

Foods that contain proteins such as poultry and meat can help you to maintain healthy levels of iron. Insufficient iron levels during first trimester of your pregnancy can increase postpartum risks such as anemia. Postpartum affects 27% of women.

Purely vegetarian diets are also healthy, but sometimes, you need to take iron supplements to reduce the risk of anemia when your diet lacks sufficient sources of iron and dairy.

Eat fish that contain low mercury levels because fish is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids greatly boost your fertility and keep your heart healthy.

Avoid fishes such as shark, marlin, white tuna and frozen swordfish as they contain high mercury levels. Fishes with low mercury levels include: flounder, tilapia, canned chunk light tuna, haddock, salmon, trout, and haddock.

For women who worry about eating fish or if they are vegetarians, flax seeds are a best source of omega 3 fatty acids. Bread and yogurt are also best sources. Bread containing whole grains will give sufficient amount of fiber. Whole grains are important nutrients that help to boost your health.

Consume foods with sufficient calcium levels. Dairy foods contain high calcium levels such as yogurt, cheese and milk. These foods are sources of saturated fats, so moderate consumption is recommended.

Vegetables like oranges, kale and broccoli are also best sources of calcium. Pumpkin, broccoli and peas are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Eat fruits and veggies that have bright color. Kale, red peppers and blueberries are particularly healthy.

Lemons and oranges are also recommended to eat as they are good sources of folic acid. Folic acid stimulates your sex hormones and also reduces the risk of spina bifids in your infants.

Vitamins are also essential to boost your fertility. Folic acid, zinc and vitamin B are essential. Zinc supports cell division during fetus development, whereas lack of zinc causes less number of eggs to produce before the conception. So, zinc is greatly recommended to increase fertility.

Intake of large fluid levels is very much important while trying to conceive.

Unhealthy foods – Foods you need to avoid

Foods containing artificial sweeteners should be avoided as they greatly affect your blood sugar levels and hormone levels. Fatty foods should also be avoided.

Avoid diet soda and caffeine, particularly if you have trouble conceiving or under IVF procedure.

Avoid refined carbs such as pasta, white bread and rice.

Eating high quantities of meat is also not recommended as it increases your body’s ammonia levels, which disturbs egg implantation in the uterus.

Avoid alcohol consumption, taking illegal drugs and smoking.

10 Factors That Affect Your Fertility!

Giving birth to a child is one of the most exciting moments in every woman’s life.

Right from the conception to birth, pregnancy is a happy and joyful journey.

But, there are various factors that can trigger your fertility. They include:

1. Diet

Not following good dietary guidelines can greatly trigger your fertility.

Healthy diet is essential for a successful pregnancy and also a healthy baby. Most of you are unaware of the fact that diet can help to correct the hormone imbalances that can affect of the ability to conceive.

Certain foods and drinks can lower your fertility.

2. Caffeine

Research found that drinking caffeine can greatly trigger your fertility. Drinking as little as one cup of coffee in a day can decrease your chances to conceive by 50%.

Also studies showed that problems can increase with the amount of caffeine that you consume each day. Also, some foods and drinks that contain caffeine can decrease the chances to conceive. So, it is essential to stop caffeine consumption at least three months before you conceive. Foods you need to avoid include: coffee, colas, and black teas.

3. Smoking

Smoking can affect your fertility to a great extent. Smoking can make the menopause to strike in your life too early. This is an essential consideration for older women who may be trying to beat the clock.

4. Xenoestrogens

These are the estrogens that come from pesticides and plastic industry. If you are trying to conceive, the most important thing you need to do is to balance your hormones.

It is most essential to avoid any thing that can cause hormone imbalance. One of the essential ways to avoid an excess intake of xenoestrogens is to take organic produce during the pre-conceptional period.

5. Alcohol

Drinking any type of alcohol can reduce your fertility by 50%. The more you drink, the less likely you are to conceive. One study showed that women who drink less than 5 units of alcohol a week are twice as likely to become pregnant within 6 months period.

6. PCOS

This is also known as syndrome O and is the most common cause for infertility. This can cause hormonal fluctuations and imbalances that can interfere with your ovulation process. PCOS can lead to irregular period, increased hair growth on your face, neck, stomach and back.

7. Endometriosis

This can occur when the endometrial tissue that grows beyond its boundaries. This condition can trigger your fertility if these endometrial cells block the fallopian tubes and affect the normal ovulation process.

8. Cancer treatment

Based on the dosage and duration, some radiation can lead to infertility.

9. Chronic illnesses

Certain illness can have negative impact on your fertility.

10. Mucus secretions

Vaginal secretions can become less fluid and more hostile to sperm.

Female Infertility Drugs To Promote Ovulation!

Most often fertility drugs are the first option for many infertile couple.

Throughout the world, millions of women are prescribed with fertility dugs such as clomid or clomifene, gonadotropins and bromocriptine.

These drugs stimulate the production of hormone there by promoting ovulation.

Hormones in your brain are stimulated and make one or more eggs ready to release each month from your ovaries. Women with irregular or rare ovulation can get great benefits from these drugs.

Most of the drugs for infertility can be safely for about 30 years. But, they also have some side effects and greater chances for multiple pregnancies. One in ten women who take fertility drugs has a chance of multiple pregnancies.

Gonadotropins are the hormones that control ovulation and these hormones are produced in the pituitary gland. These hormones stimulate the activity of gonads, also called as the ovaries in women. Major gonadotropins produced by the pituitary gland are luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These hormones enter into the bloodstream and travel to your ovaries.

Clomid: This fertility drug helps you more likely to ovulate every month. Women who ovulate irregularly or not at all and also women with PCOS can benefit from this drug. Women with unexplained infertility are also prescribed with clomid.

This is an anti-oestrogen drug taken in pill form. It benefits by increasing the levels of LH and FSH hormones that stimulate your ovulation. This makes ovaries to produce number of eggs ready for fertilization. After completing the drug cycle, hypothalamus will produce LH. This alerts your ovaries to release a mature egg from the follicles and send it into one of the fallopian tubes. The drug cycle will be 3-5 days in a monthly menstrual period.

Gonadotropins: Most often these dugs are suggested for women with PCOS and women who are not responding to clomid. Gonadotopin is a mixture of FSH and LH. It directly stimulates your ovaries to produce and mature eggs.

Gonadotropins are injected into your body. After receiving gonadotropins for 7-12 days, you will get an injection called hCG (human chronic gonadotropin) to tell the ovaries to release the egg.

Bromocriptine or parlodel : These drugs are suggested for women with ovulation problems due to excess of prolactin hormone produced by pituitary gland. This condition is caused by pituitary adenoma. This drug works by reducing the production of prolactin hormone.

This drug can be taken in the form of tablet, capsule or vaginally. Dosage of pills is 2-3 times a day, if it is required, the dosage may also be increased. Once prolactin levels becomes normal, you are about to menstruate and ovulate.

Every fertility drug has some sort of side effects, such as dizziness, nausea, headache, dry mouth, nasal stuffiness, and drowsiness.

Azoospermia! No Sperm Present In Semen

Azoospermia is a male medical condition of not having measurable level of sperm in his semen.

This condition is associated with low levels of infertility.

Azoospermia is of two types, one is obstructive azoospermia and the other is non-obstructive azoospermia.

In obstructive azoospermia sperm are generated but they won’t be mixed with the remaining ejaculatory fluid due to any physical obstruction.

In non-obstructive azoospermia, there is a problem with production of sperm.

Researchers said that azoospermia is a result of androgen drugs and corticosteroids. Similar to azoospermia in men, women too get a condition called as amenorrhea. There are various factors that lead to this condition.

Causes of obstructive azoospermia:

Infections: Any disturbances in male reproductive system, such as prostate or testicles can affect your fertility.

Genetics: Some people are born with genes that affect their fertility. Sometimes these genes may affect transportation of sperm.

Trauma: Any injury or surgery to your spine, lower abdomen, sex organs, or pelvis can cause disturbances in male reproductive system. Sometimes, trauma can affect the production of sperm and obstruction in the flow or transportation of sperm.

Varicocele: In this condition, scrotum veins are enlarged and dilated thus finally affecting sperm transportation.

Causes of non-obstructive azoospermia:

Drugs: Certain drugs like antibiotics, steroids, and cancer drugs can greatly affect male infertility. Usage of alcohol, illegal drugs and smoking can cause various problems with production of sperm.

Hormones: Any problem with testicles can produce abnormal levels of hormones, which affect sperm production.

Genetics: Sometimes, genes that come with birth can affect production of sperm. Also, these genes can affect formation of reproductive tract organs.

Radiation: Radiation therapy that is used to treat testicular cancer can affect your sperm production.

Signs and symptoms of azoospermia:

• Increased body fat, breast tissue and body hair


• Inability to make your partner pregnant


• Water, clear and whitish discharge from the penis


• Emotional stress and pressure from not being able to conceive a baby


• Testicles that become small, non-palpable or soft


• Swelling of the scrotum


• Enlarged or twisted veins in the scrotum
  

Treating azoospermia:

Treatment for azoospermia mainly depends on the cause. Treatment options include:

Medicines: You are suggested to take medicines that treat the infection of your reproductive system. Hormone supplements are suggested to treat hormonal imbalance.

Sperm extraction: Sperm are collected from the testicles and then used to fertilize with your partner’s egg.

Percutaneous embolization: This is method used to treat varicocele. Blockage is made in the enlarged veins to stop the flow of blood.

How To Deal With Female Sexual Dysfunction

Four among every ten women may experience some sort of problems in their sexual health at some point in their life.

Are you experiencing recurrent or persistent problems with your sexual response or experiencing problems that make you strained or distressed the relationship with your partner?

Then this condition is medically termed as female sexual dysfunction.

Female sexual dysfunction is caused due to several factors and it causes various symptoms.

But, all these symptoms are almost all treatable. The only way to gain successful sexual satisfaction is by communicating your problems with your doctor and understanding the anatomy and body’s reactions to sexual activity.

Various symptoms of female sexual dysfunction include:

This condition can strike your life irrespective of the age. When there is hormonal fluctuations in your body, sexual concerns may take place. Sexual problems may also occur when you experience any major illnesses like cancer.

Here are the common problems that indicate you the problem of female sexual dysfunction:

• Low or not having any desire to have sex


• Experiencing pain during the sexual intercourse


• Not experiencing an orgasm


• Not maintain arousal during the sexual activity


• Not becoming aroused even you desired to have sex
  

Most common causes of female sexual dysfunction include:

Various causes that lead to female sexual dysfunction are physical, hormonal, psychological and social problems.

Physical conditions: Arthritis, pelvic surgery, bowel problems, urinary infections, headaches, fatigue, and neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis can lead to sexual dysfunction. Medications like antidepressants, chemotherapy drugs and blood pressure medications can lower your sexual desire.

Hormonal changes: Low levels of estrogen during menopause stage can cause genital changes and lower sexual desire. Hormonal changes make the vaginal lining thin and less elastic, especially when you are sexually inactive. So, in order to relax, you need more vaginal stimulation to lubricate and relax before the intercourse. All these factors can lead to painful intercourse.

Psychological changes: Lifestyle factors such as depression and anxiety can cause sexual dysfunction. Problems about sex or any other issues in your relationship can decrease the sexual responsiveness.

Treatments for female sexual dysfunction can give best results when used in combination. There are some medical treatments such as, vaginal estrogen gel, changing from one antidepressant medication to another. Sometimes, behavioral therapies and stress management techniques can address the problems associated with female sexual dysfunction.

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits, strengthening your pelvic muscles through regular activity, and seeking counseling from a therapist can benefit you a lot.

Varicocele – An Infertility Cause

Varicocele is a swollen vein in the scrotum. Usually veins in the scrotum are constricted and are not dilated, but in varicocele, the veins are dilated. Normally, varicoceles are found in the left scrotum than the right one.

Although they don’t happen to every guy, varicoceles are fairly common. This condition happens in about 15% of guys between the ages of 15-25 years and most commonly during puberty stage. During puberty stage, testicle growth is very rapid and needs more blood delivered to it.

If the valves that present in the veins function improperly, transportation of blood can’t be handled. Blood flowing to the scrotum will back up thus creating varicocele.

This condition is a well known cause for subnormal testicular function. About 20-25% of the males can experience this condition. Also, 40% of infertility males have this condition.

This is the most leading cause of infertility in males. This condition can be easily detected and also treated by surgical procedures.

It is very important that right sided varicocele should be investigated carefully. Sometimes, right sided varicocele may indicate cancer of right kidney.

Varicocele feels like a bag of worms. You won’t experience any pain, but the scrotum will be swollen and this may be at one or both the sides. Also, there are other problems that may cause swelling of the scrotum such as fluid in the scrotum, testicular cancer, spermatocele or cyst, etc.

Varicocele leads to various problems such as:

• Testicular cancer


• Infertility


• Atrophy or testicular shrinkage
  

Signs and symptoms of varicocele include:

• Pain in the testicles


• Feeling of heaviness or dragging in the scrotum


• Discomfort in the testicles or on the particular side of the scrotum


• Dilated veins in the scrotum that can be felt


• Dilated veins causes the testicles to become smaller
  

Testicular examination is conducted to diagnose this condition. High-resolution color-flow Doppler ultrasonography is also a method of choice.

The major treatment form of varicocele is surgery. Though it doesn’t need any surgical interference, there are various methods of surgical corrections such as microscopic sub-inguinal varicocelectomy, retroperitoneal and laparoscopic varicocelectomy and inguinal varicocelectomy.

Apart from the surgery, there are various methods for men to improve their semen quantity and quality. Some of these lifestyle changes include:

• Reduced alcohol intake


• Avoiding lubricants


• Quitting smoking


• Avoiding the use of anabolic steroids


• Avoiding the use of drugs like cocaine and marijuana


• Increasing aerobic activity

Effects Of PCOS On Infertility!

In today’s world almost 15% of the women get affected with PCOS in their reproductive age.

Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are often infertile because they don’t ovulate. 40-80% of the women experience problems with fertility.

The reason behind this is that PCOS is a complex metabolic syndrome with various factors that can greatly interfere with fertility.

PCOS causes hormonal imbalance and irregular menstrual periods.

Women with PCOS produce increased levels of insulin. Higher amounts of insulin in your body cause it to react by producing high levels androgens or male hormone.

Usually in the first half of your menstrual cycle, a number of follicles will develop and each contains an egg. As your menstrual period goes on, one follicle will remain. This is the follicle responsible for the production of egg.

Once the egg has matured, levels of luteinizing hormone will increase thus causing the egg to come out from the follicle. During this period ovulation takes place.

High levels of androgens affect your hormonal production, which are necessary for ovulation. PCOS affects the women’s ability of hormone production that is responsible for follicle development.

Sometimes, they may develop and collect fluid but no one become that much large to support ovulation. Sometimes these follicles turn into cysts. This is because of ovulation failure and finally progesterone is not produced.

Progesterone is the hormone i.e. responsible for thickening the lining of the uterus. Absence of progesterone causes irregular menstrual cycle.

Various symptoms of PCOS that lead to infertility:

• Irregular or infrequent menstrual cycle


• Multiple ovarian cysts


• Obesity


• Higher insulin levels


• Type II diabetes


• Premenstrual syndrome or pelvic pain


• Increased hair growth on face, back or chest


• Thinning hair


• Acne
  

Predicting ovulation in PCOS patients:

As PCOS affects hormone levels, it is very difficult to predict ovulation. You will find an anovulatory BBT (Basal Body Temperature) chart to predict ovulation. If women with PCOS are also ovulate, then it becomes very difficult to understand their BBT chart.

Also, PCOS affects results of ovulation prediction kits. Usually these kits work by evaluating LH levels. Higher LH levels can also make it hard to use ovulation prediction kit.

Infertility treatments for women with PCOS:

Ovarian drilling: In this procedure, a small needle is used to puncture the tiny holes of your ovary with an electrosurgical needle. Electric power destroys a portion of your ovary to decreases the androgen levels and thus supporting ovulation.

Weight loss: Loosing weight can also help in balancing the hormone levels and restoring your normal menstrual cycle.

In vitro fertilization (IVM): This procedure can sometimes call as test tube baby. This is a procedure that makes most of the infertile women to become pregnant.

Fertility drugs: Fertility drugs such as Metformin and clomid. Metformin improves your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Clomid is the drug that is used in treating PCOS related infertility.

Is It Andropause Or Male Menopause?

Most of you are aware of menopause that women normally experience, but did you know that men too experience menopause.

Andropause is nothing but male menopause. It strikes man’s life at an age of 40-55 due to a decrease in male hormone called as testosterone. Andropause causes night sweats in men.

Unlike women, hormonal changes in men take place gradually. Effects of these hormonal changes are subtle. Similar to women, men also behave oddly in their late ages and seem lethargic.

Along with women, men are also victims of hormonal imbalances. Hormonal changes cause various bodily changes in men such as fatigue, changes in attitudes, lack of energy, mood changes, unable to participate in sexual intercourse and physical agility.

Apart from these conditions, decrease in testosterone can put men at risk various other health problems such as weak bones and heart disease.

Though menopause strikes every man’s life, some lifestyle factors such as psychological stress, medications, infections, obesity, surgery, alcohol and tobacco use can contribute to its early onset.

Andropause – What causes it?

Usually, male menopause strikes at about age 30. Levels of testosterone hormone decrease by 10 percent for every decade. Simultaneously, another hormone named sex binding hormone globulin or SHBG start increasing. This hormone traps greater amounts of testosterone that is still circulating and makes it unavailable to exert its effects in the body’s tissues.

How importance is testosterone in man’s life?

Still it is not clear that whether all the men go through this phase or not and also the cause is unknown why only some men experience this condition.

Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is responsible for generation and release of sperm. Also, testosterone provides muscular strength and it has a major role in initiating sexual desire in men.

Andropause – What are the symptoms?

Low testosterone levels can produce variety of changes in man’s life. They include:

• Sleep problems


• Erectile dysfunction


• Increased body fat


• Mood changes like irritability, depression and feeling tired


• Low sex drive


• Osteoporosis


• Loosing muscle size and strength


• Memory loss


• Unable to concentrate
  

Is it andropause or male menopause?

This condition is also called as ADAM i.e. androgen deficiency of the aging male. It differs from a condition of female menopause in which the symptoms occur rapidly or female menopause is termed as sudden change. But, in men the change is very gradual and is difficult to recognize.

An Overview On "In Vitro Fertilization"!

In vitro fertilization, also referred to as IVF is the method of fertilization by manually combining an egg with sperm in a laboratory bowl.

If IVF is successful, then the next procedure followed by IVF is embryo transfer, in which the embryo is placed in your uterus.

Procedure involved with in vitro fertilization:

IVF includes five steps followed by embryo transfer.

• Monitoring and stimulating the development of healthy eggs in your ovaries


• Collecting the eggs


• Securing the sperm


• Combining egg with sperm in the laboratory


• Providing healthy environment for fertilization and embryo development


• Transferring the embryo into your uterus
  

Step 1: You are prescribed with fertility medications that help to manage timing of egg ripening and also to enhance the chance of collecting more number of eggs. Usually this procedure is termed as ovulation induction.

Your doctor will monitor the development of eggs by using ultrasound in order to examine your ovaries. Blood test is also recommended to check the hormone levels.

Step 2: After egg development, your doctor collects the egg samples by following a surgical procedure in which a hollow needle is inserted into your pelvic cavity.

Removal of eggs with hollow needle is called follicular aspiration. You will experience mild cramping on the day of egg retrieval.

Step 3: After egg retrieval, it is combined with sperm, usually obtained by ejaculation.

Step 4: Combined egg and sperm are placed in an incubator to occur fertilization. This process is called as insemination. If there is poor fertilization, then intracytoplasmic sperm injection is used.

In this method, a single sperm is directly injected into the egg. Eggs are observed to ensure that fertilization and cell division are taking place. Fertilized eggs are called as embryos.

Step 5: Once the embryo has developed, it is placed in your uterus within 1-6 six days. Fertilized egg is divided to form a 2-4 cell embryo.

During the transfer process, a speculum is introduced in your vagina to expose the cervix. Then the embryos are suspended in a fluid and carefully positioned in a catheter then into your womb.

Success rate of in vitro fertilization:

Success rate mainly depends on your condition and treatment approaches. Also, it is essential to understand that pregnancy rates can not be compared with live birth rate. Birth rate for each in vitro fertilization case is as follows:

• For women under 35 years, success rate is 30-35%


• For women between 35-37 years, success rate is 25%


• For women between 38-40 years, success rate is 15-20%


• For women above 40 years, success rate is 6-10%
  

Risk factors associated with IVF:

• Sometimes, ovary stimulation can lead to hyperstimulation, which causes swollen and painful ovaries.


• Ovarian Hyper stimulation Syndrome can sometimes lead to nausea, vomiting, bloated feeling, and lack of appetite.


• Some of the severe symptoms include: shortness of breathe, severe abdominal pain, rapid weight gain, and decreased frequency of urination.
  

Erectile Dysfunction – What Men Should Known About?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called as impotence is the inability to keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. This condition can strike a man’s life at any stage, but it is more common in men over 65.

There are various physical causes that can lead to erectile dysfunction. They include:

• Fatigue


• Tobacco and alcohol use


• Hypogonadism (A condition that leads to lower testosterone levels)


• Multiple sclerosis


• Stroke


• Kidney or liver failure


• Parkinson’s disease


• Some kind of bladder or prostate surgery


• Spinal cord damage


• Brain injuries


• Radiation therapy to the testicles
  

Medicines such as antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, appetite suppressants, ulcer drugs, etc can cause ED like side effects.

Along with the above causes, there are some medical conditions that cause erectile dysfunction include:

• Hypertension


• Diabetes


• Heart disease


• Atherosclerosis
  

Not maintaining blood pressure and blood sugar under control can lead to get erectile dysfunction. So, you need to take medicines for these problems to keep under control.

Hormones becoming out of balance can also cause erectile dysfunction and medicinal drugs also.

Problems associated with your sexual partner can also cause ED. So, it is essential to improve your relationship for your successful sex life. If you want to undergo therapy, it will be most beneficial if you participate with your sex partner also.

Experts believe that psychological factors such as feelings can also lead to erectile dysfunction. They include:

• Feeling depressed


• Feeling stressed such as work stress and family stress


• Experiencing problems with your sex partner


• Feeling worried about sex due to a bad experience


• Feeling so embarrassed that you can’t enjoy sex
  

Diagnosis of this problem includes blood test and your doctor asks you some queries about your sex life.

Treating erectile dysfunction:

Treatment for erectile dysfunction depends on its cause. Your doctor may suggest you some medicines. Some of these medications can also be directly injected into your penis while some others are taken orally. Everybody can not use these medicines, your doctor suggests you whether you are really in need of these medicines.

If you think that these medicines are not suitable for you, then you can use vacuum pump devices or you can also consider surgery. Usually, surgery has one of the three goals, such as:

• Reconstructing the arteries to enhance blood flow to your penis


• Implanting a device that makes penis to become erect


• Blocking veins that cause leakage of blood from penile tissues
  

Link Between Endometriosis And Infertility!

According to the study, about 40% of the women with endometriosis are infertile.

Endometrium is the tissue that lines the inside of uterine cavity.

These tissues spread somewhere in your body such as ovaries or somewhere in your abdominal cavity.

The only way to confirm whether you have endometriosis is by undergoing a surgical procedure called as laparoscopy.

Laparoscopy is a procedure that helps to look inside of your abdominal cavity. Endometriosis can also be due to very painful menstrual cycles, painful intercourse, etc.

Mild endometriosis:

Most of the endometriosis cases are mild. Usually endometriosis can lead to lower abdominal pain and pelvic pain. Sometimes, endometriosis doesn’t cause any symptoms to appear. Though endometriosis causes infertility in some women, most of the fertile women can also have mild endometriosis.

Still there are studies conducting to find the definite link between mild endometriosis and infertility. Some studies had discovered that delayed pregnancy and infertility influences women to develop endometriosis, but not endometriosis is the cause of infertility.

So, most of the experts believe that infertility due to mild endometriosis is unexplained infertility.

Severe endometriosis:

This type of endometriosis causes to develop scarring at pelvic region and also disturbances in your pelvic structure. This type of endometriosis makes the fallopian tubes to become blocked and damaged.

There are some cysts of endometriosis found on ovaries and these cysts adhere to your uterus, pelvic side wall or bowel. Adhesions affecting the fallopian tubes can interfere with their ability to pick up the eggs released by the ovary and transport it to the uterus. All these distortions can result in infertility.

In some severe cases, eggs in your ovaries can be damaged, thus leading to reduced ovarian reserve and decreased egg quantity and quality.

Peritoneal fluid in women who have endometriosis includes various number of scavenger cells that are able to destroy sperm cells thus making fertilization more difficult.

Sometimes, endometriosis can also develop inside of your fallopian tubes, which results in blockages and makes fertilization impossible.

Infertility treatment for women with endometriosis:

Doctor suggests hormonal and surgical treatments to treat endometriosis. Women who receive treatment for endometriosis can have a chance of 35-65% to become pregnant. Studies showed that women with mild or minimal endometriosis don’t get any proven benefits from medical or surgical treatments.

The severe the endometriosis a woman has, the lesser the chance to become pregnant even after the treatment. Some women have greater chance to become pregnant during the first two years of treatment.

If the infertility cause is unknown, it is better to take treatment to prevent the progression of endometriosis. During the cases of unexplained infertility, it is best to consider laparoscopic surgery.

Very first step in the process of treating infertility is using medications to boost your ovaries for production of eggs. If you won’t become pregnant within 1-2 years of treatment, then you can consider methods like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT).

Factors That Cause Female Infertility!

Female infertility is of various types, among those most of them can be treated easily.

Here are the most common causes of female infertility:

1. Hormonal causes

Most of the women experience problems with ovulation.

Hormonal changes that cause oocyte to release from your ovary and thickening of your endometrium in preparation for the fertilized egg do not occur.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), clomid, ovarian drilling, and ovarian stimulation are all the ovulation problems that make you infertile.

Usually, ovulation predictor kits, basal body temperature charts and blood tests can help to detect the hormone levels that cause infertility.

2. Damage to your fallopian tubes

Any damage to your fallopian tubes prevents the contact between sperm and oocyte. Endometriosis, repetitive pelvic infections and undergoing pelvic surgery for number of times can lead to scar formation and finally damage to the fallopian tubes.

3. Cervical causes

There are only few people who have cervical problems. Cervical problem which mainly lead to infertility is unable to pass the sperm from cervical canal. This condition occurs due to prior surgical procedures or abnormal mucus production. These conditions can be treated with intrauterine insemination.

4. Unexplained infertility

In about 20 percent of cases, the cause of infertility can not be determined with the currently available procedures.

5. Age

Increased age is also a factor that affects your fertility. By birth, women have a finite number of fertile eggs. As your age increases, quality and the number of eggs diminishes. Every year, the chances of giving birth to a baby decreases by 3-5%.

Determining the causes of female infertility:

Your doctor recommends the following tests to determine infertility, such as

• Blood test to check your hormone levels


• Endometrial biopsy in order to test your endometrial lining
  

Laparoscopy and hysterosalpingography are used to determine tubal obstruction and pelvic adhesions.

Laparoscopy is a procedure in which, a slender tube fitted with a fiberoptic camera is inserted into your abdomen by making a small adhesion near your belly button. This procedure helps your doctor to observe outside of the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes in order to find any abnormal growths.

Hysterosalpingography (HSG) includes various X-rays of reproductive organs. Through your cervix, a dye is introduced, which help to view any blockages of fallopian tubes.

So, regular checkups and proper diagnosis are very important to treat the condition in its early stages only.

What Factors Cause Male Infertility?

An estimated of 10-15% of the couple are classified as infertile. In about half the cases male infertility is a factor.

Most common causes of male infertility are impaired sperm production, impaired sperm delivery and testosterone deficiency.

Infertility is the result of some problems that are present at the time of birth or due to the problems that develop in lateral life. Some of the most common causes of male infertility include:

• Injuries, for example, testicular trauma


• Infections such as orchitis, prostatitis, epididymitis


• Diseases such as STDs, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis


• Chemotherapy


• Incorrectly moved or abnormally shaped sperm


• Seminal fluid abnormalities


• Ductal system problems


• Cryptorchidism


• Medications that are used to treat arthritis and high blood pressure


• Hormonal abnormalities due to a disorder in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis


• Metallic disorders such as hemocromatosis


• Testicular cancer


• Systemic diseases such as infection, high fever, kidney disease


• Varicocele


• Cigarette smoking


• Alcohol


• Defects in your reproductive system such as anorchism, cryptorchidism
  

Bladder surgery that is used to treat congenital defect in the bladder or urethra or a disorder that affects your nervous system can lead to retrograde ejaculation. This condition occurs from the injury of the nerves and muscles of the bladder neck that prevent it from closing at the time of ejaculation. Dry or diminished ejaculation and cloudy urine after ejaculation are the signs of this condition.

Testosterone deficiency:

Testosterone deficiency also called as hypogonadism, which exists from birth or may build up later. Causes of this condition are classified according to their location along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

• First is disturbance in your testicles


• Second is disturbance in your pituitary glands


• Last is disturbance in the hypothalamus
  

Klinefelter syndrome is the most common congenital disorder. An extra X chromosome causes this condition leading to infertility, unwanted facial and body hair and smaller than normal testes.

Testosterone deficiency is also due to congenital hormone diseases such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency and leutenizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) deficiency.

Acquired causes of hypogonadism include:

• Glandular malformation


• Radiation


• Chemotherapy


• Infections such as mumps, meningitis, syphilis


• Damage to the pituitary gland, testes, or hypothalamus


• Isolated LH deficiency


• Head trauma that affect your hypothalamus


• Tumor of your pituitary gland, testicles or hypothalamus


• Testicular trauma
  

Reproductive Problems - Major Infertility Cause

Not becoming pregnant even after trying to conceive for a long time? Here are some basic causes of male and female infertility. Changes in female or male reproductive system can result in infertility. Most common facts about infertility include:

• Approximately 35 percentage of infertility cases arise due to abnormalities in female reproductive system.


• Approximately 35 percentage of infertility cases arise from man’s reproductive system.


• Approximately 20 percentage of cases are due to problems in both man and woman.


• Approximately 10 percentage of cases are due to unknown causes.


• Age is also a risk factor for infertility.
  

Some other lifestyle habits that can cause infertility include:

• Great use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco


• Fad diets or anorexia


• Stress in a woman can cause irregular periods and also it reduces the man’s sperm count.
  

Some other factors that can cause infertility include:

• Age


• Athletic training


• Excess alcohol consumption


• Being overweight or underweight


• Sexually transmitted diseases


• Poor diet


• Health problems that can cause hormonal disturbances


• Smoking


• General factors like diabetes, thyroid disorders and adrenalin diseases


• Hypothalamic-pituitary factors such as Hypopituitarism, Hyperprolactinemia and Kallmann syndrome


• Environmental conditions i.e. toxins like volatile organic solvents, glues, physical agents, pesticides, and chemical dusts


• Genetic factors in both the sexes can cause recurrent spontaneous abortions or complete infertility
  

The other case of infertility is combined infertility. Both the sexes may be infertile or subfertile. Infertility arises from the combination of these two conditions.

In some other cases, the cause of infertility can be suspected as genetic or immunological. Independently the man and woman can be fertile but as a couple they can not conceive without any external assistance.

In women, the cause of infertility is mainly due to ovulation difficulties. Ovulation problems are due to irregular or non-existent menstrual cycle. Some other cause can be: uterine fibroids, birth defects within the uterus, and blocked or damaged fallopian tubes.

In men, infertility is determined based on the condition of sperm count. Men who produce no sperm suffer from a condition called as azoospermia. Men with low sperm count suffer from oligospermia. Along with these conditions malformed sperm, inactive sperm and blocked reproductive tracts can lead to male infertility. Scientists have reported that a virus called Adeno-associated virus can cause male infertility.

Infertility treatments mainly based on your:

• Tests result


• Age of both the partners


• Overall health of the couple


• How long the couple has been trying to conceive


• Preferences of the cpuple