Why Smoking Causes Infertility?

Various causes can result in trouble becoming pregnant.

So, everyone needs to understand what can trigger your fertility and conception.

Smoking is the factor that can trigger your fertility to a greater extent.

So, women who want to become pregnant should give up smoking. There are various researches conducted on why smoking causes infertility.

The studies found some of the causes for negative effect of smoking on your fertility.

Nicotine present in cigarettes has a greater negative impact on your fertility. Nicotine affects the maturation of eggs, decreases ovulation rates and thereby decreasing fertility rates. Also the studies showed that women who smoke during pregnancy have greater chances of developing chromosomal abnormalities in their eggs.

Also study showed that smokers had twice the risk of still being childless five years after ending the use of contraceptives than did non-smoking couples. Researchers estimate that smoking women who want to conceive take, on average two months longer than the nonsmokers. Smoking women have 40% less chances of becoming pregnant than nonsmokers. Also, smoking women have greater chances of miscarriage and smoking men are more likely to become impotent if they continue smoking.

Effect of smoking on IVF:

Women who get in vitro fertilization also experience the negative effects of nicotine on their pregnancy. Smoking women have less egg retrieval with IVF, less rates of fertilization of the eggs and more number of miscarriages even with IVF also.

Even smoking men also have negative effect on IVF. Smoking causes damage to the sperm. So, smoking causes negative influences on IVF for both the men and women.

If you want to become pregnant, then you need to adopt various lifestyle changes that increase your chances of becoming pregnant. Say goodbye to cigarettes, so that it can dramatically and quickly influence your chances of holding a beautiful baby.

Effects of smoking on women fertility:

• Alterations in ovum


• Lower rates of fertilization of the eggs with IVF


• Increased risk of unprompted abortion and ectopic pregnancy


• Likelihood of incidence of cancer in the babies of smoking parents


• Damage to the fallopian tubes that produce healthy eggs


• Chances of getting menopause early by 1 to 4 years
  

Effects of smoking in male fertility:

• Decreased sperm count in men


• Infertility caused by changes in the series of DNA in sperm cells


• Iterations in the sperm morphology


• Decreased sperm strength


• Quality and quantity of ejaculated semen

IVF May Increase Risk Of Stillbirths!

According to the recent studies, women who consume with the help of fertility treatments such as IVF are at four times the risk of having stillbirths. Research said that women who consume with the help of fertility procedures such as IVF and ICSI were at more risk compared to women who consume naturally.

Research proved that risk of stillbirths for women who consume naturally or non-IVF procedures was 4.3 per 1,000 pregnancies, whereas the risk associated with IVF and ICSI was 16.2 per 1,000 pregnancies.

The findings also proved that the reason for women who are at greater risk of stillbirths with IVF and ICSI is mainly due to their age. But the research does not completely find whether it is IVF or ICSI that increase the risk of stillbirths.

Researchers already proved that risk of multiple pregnancies is greater with fertility treatments and also the research proved that risk of low birth weight, preterm births and other serious health problems is greater with multiple pregnancies. So, women who are undergoing IVF should get single embryo transfer to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies.

Debilitating Signs And Symptoms Of Infertility In Women!

As women age, the most significant factor that effect is the ability to conceive.

Nowadays most of the women wait a longer time to have a baby. As the age increases, the ability of your ovaries to produce normal eggs will decrease, risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases and unsuccessful implantation thus leading to infertility in women.

The ability of a woman to conceive will start decreasing during her 30’s. After 38 there is a more rapid decrease in women’s fertility.

20’s is the most prominent period for a woman to get pregnant. Doctors usually recommend that after 35, women should have fertility evaluation once after attempting pregnancy for six months.

Though there are various causes of infertility in women, they differ from one woman to another.

Symptoms of infertility in women:

Some women may experience physical symptoms associated with infertility, but some may not have any physical symptoms.

• Abnormal menstrual period


• Absence of menstruation


• Pelvic pain


• Rapid weight gain


• Chronic acne


• Unable to get pregnant


• Various emotional reactions by either or both members of the couple and the reactions are great among the childless couple.
  

Test to perform in infertile women:

• Calculating the basal body temperature


• Monitoring cervical mucus changes throughout the menstrual cycle to note the wet, stretchy, and slippery mucus associated with the ovulatory phase


• Biopsying the uterine lining or endometrium


• Measuring the amount of luteinizing hormone in urine with home-use kits to predict ovulation and assist with timing of intercourse.


• Progestin challenge when the woman has sporadic or absent ovulation.


• Checking serum hormone levels


• Laparoscopy for direct visualization of your pelvic cavity


• Determining existence of any cysts with pelvic exam

About 85-90% of the cases of infertility in women can be determined with the above test. Seeking right therapy in right timings can give 50 - 60% of chances to become pregnant. Usually, the treatments for infertility in women include: IVF, intrauterine insemination, and ovulation induction.

Some Foods May Contribute To Infertility!

There are various digestive disorders that can damage your small intestine when you eat wheat, rye and barley. Gluten is a protein found in these foods can cause these problems. Celiac disease is one among those digestive disorders. There are varied symptoms of this disease.

Celiac disease can lead to infertility or inability to become pregnant. Also this disease can cause various gynecological and obstetrical problems along with miscarriage and preterm births. Men who ignore the condition of celiac disease can also have fertility issues.

Celiac disease in women can lead to start periods later and stop menstruating earlier than average. Also, women suffer from secondary amenorrhea, a condition in which menses start but then stop. Collectively, these menstrual problems can lead to fewer ovulations thus resulting in fewer chances to become pregnant. Improper nutrition and hormonal factors can play a role in causing these problems.

Celiac disease in men can cause sperm abnormalities, such as: low sperm count, reduced sperm functioning and altered sperm shape. Untreated celiac disease can lead to low testosterone levels.

One study stated that sexual relations occurred less often when one partner had active celiac disease compared with couples in which the partner’s celiac disease was being treated.

Even women with celiac disease become pregnant; there are some problems that they may get during pregnancy such as smaller babies, miscarriage. These are the most common conditions that can be noticed in women with untreated celiac disease. So, women who experience repeated miscarriage or unable to conceive should get screening for celiac disease.


How To Enhance Your Sex Life?

Almonds, seafood, avocados, figs and strawberries can enhance your sexual function and experience. Here are some of the health benefits of each for your life:

Almonds: They are abundant in nutrients and minerals like zinc, vitamin E and selenium.

They are very essential for women sexual and reproductive health. Vitamin E is responsible for the production of estrogen and testosterone.

Vitamin E helps to enhance your sexual desire and helps in fertility.

Seafood: wild salmon, oysters and herring are rich in zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. They increase the release of sex hormones. Zinc increases the sex hormone in both the sexes and oysters boost your libido. Seafood can keep your sex and heart life healthier.

Avocados: These are the best sources of mono unsaturated fats that keep your healthy and strong.

A healthy heart can direct the blood to all the organs and also boosts the sex instincts.

Heart disease in men keep them at greater risk of erectile dysfunction.

You will get enough saturated fats from your diet, but mono saturated fats are not. So, consume avocados for these fats.

Figs: They are good sources of soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber is essential to keep your heart healthy. Also, it curbs your hunger. High fiber content is essential particularly for women who main healthy weight, which makes them feel and look sexy.

Strawberries: They are good sources of folic acid, which helps to prevent birth defects in women.

Folic acid helps to boost the sperm count in men. Color of strawberry boosts your libido.

Citrus foods: They are good sources of anti-oxidants, folic acid and vitamin C. It helps to maintain reproductive health in men. Include lot of citrus in your diet.

Antioxidants available in vitamin C have very short life span, so to the continuous benefits, men should consume a lot and very frequently. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables as they can lessen heart disease and adversely affect the man’s performance.

IVF Procedure May Inherit Fertility Problems in Baby Boys!

A new study conducted on baby boys who born through IVF treatment that involve single sperm being directly introduced into a woman egg frequently inherit shorter fingers, which is a trait identified to be connected with infertility.

The study conducted on one million babies across Europe who born through IVF procedure. One in every 50 British babies is conceived artificially. Almost half of the couples having this treatment go through a treatment called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

The procedure evades the normal competition where only the healthy sperm cell is able to reach the female egg and fertilize it. Study proved that low sperm count in men can lead to have ring finger the same length as the index finger. But in healthy fertile men ring finger is relatively larger than the index finger.

This effect is reversed in women, most fertile women have index finger slightly larger than the ring finger. Finger length is known to be set within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and is linked to testosterone exposure which is, in turn, governed by a specific group of genes.


Evening Primrose Oil To Regulate Fertility!

Evening primrose is a mixture of vitamin E and the antioxidant selenium in addition to the optimal, nutritionally-sound amount of evening primrose oil for trying-to-conceive women.

Evening Primrose Oil or EPO is an essential fatty acid that contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA).

GLA s converted to a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin E1 which has anti-inflammatory properties and may also act as a blood thinner and blood vessel dilator.

These anti-inflammatory properties of evening primrose oil help people suffering from pains, aches and cramps.

This oil gives women with Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid converted in the body to prostaglandins - types of enzymes which can balance female reproductive hormones and support a wide range of bodily functions, including moisture regulation of mucous membranes.

Key benefit of evening primrose oil for women trying to conceive is its purpose in lubricating and preserving mucus membranes and production, hence helping your body to naturally regulate the quality of fertile cervical mucus.

One of the major characteristics of well and abundant cervical mucus throughout the fertile period prior to ovulation is its capability to maintain sperm in a healthy means and to permit sperm to shift freely through the "hostile," or pH-challenged, environment of the cervix.

During ovulation, healthy fertility relies on the change in texture and increase in amount of a woman's cervical mucus. Don’t take evening primrose oil during the pre-ovulation period of each cycle.


Smoking And Fertility In Women!

Various factors can trigger a woman’s chance becoming pregnant.

For every woman it is very important to understand what factors can be avoided and what can’t be helped.

Among those factors, smoking is one that can be avoided.

Smoking affects your fertility in various ways and it causes a great deal of waiting for that magical pregnancy.

Before going to know how smoking affects your fertility, here are few facts about smoking and fertility in women:

• Smoking women are 60 percent more risk of becoming infertile than nonsmokers. Smoking greatly delays your period of conception.


• Smoking women are less fertile and have longer waiting time to become pregnant.


• Heavy smoking women face more risk in conceiving than lightly smoking women.


• The toxins and chemicals present in tobacco may change your cervical fluid. These toxins can harm your ovaries.


• Smoking has a “devastating impact” on a woman’s chance of bearing a baby through IVF.


• The effect of smoking more than one cigarette a day for a year reduced women’s chances of having a live birth through IVF by 28%.
  

How smoking affects your fertility?

Cigarette smoking causes hormonal changes that can lead to menstrual irregularities and even anovulation, in which menstrual cycles where ovulation fails to occur.

Women who smoke also have an increased risk of cervical cancer. In advanced stages, surgery is needed to treat cervical cancer. This procedure can leave the women permanently infertile.

Cigarette smoking may be harmful to a woman’s ovaries, where eggs are produced; this can resulting in a lower egg count or even destroyed or unviable eggs.

Women who smoke can produce lower levels of estrogen, which could impact fertility and egg development. Smoking can also damage the fallopian tubes, inhibiting proper ovulation. And smoking can bring on early menopause, cutting short a woman’s fertility by several years.

If a couple is trying to conceive via in vitro fertilization (IVF), it can take twice as long and require higher doses of fertility drugs if the woman is a smoker, if the process works at all. Smoking has also been connected to an increased risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.


Ovulation Induction For Infertile Women!

Do you have ovulatory problem?

No effect of clomiphene citrate on your conception?

In these cases, other fertility medications are suggested to induce follicle development and ovulation.

What exactly is ovulation induction?

Usually, medications for ovulation induction are prescribed by a fertility specialist.

Ovulation induction is a safe and effective means of helping infertile women who do not ovulate or who ovulate irregularly. A careful selection of treatment regimens combined with diligent monitoring can bring excellent results.

Ovulation induction procedure involves stimulation of ovaries to produce one or more eggs. This can be achieved by using different medications. Medications help to induce the development and release of multiple eggs in ovulatory women undergoing other infertility treatments.

Are there any risks associated with ovulation induction?

Medications that are used for ovulation induction can increase the chance for high order multiple births and the development of ovarian cysts. A rare condition that can occur is ovarian hyper stimulation. Symptoms of this condition include: severe pelvic pain, abdomen and chest pain, bloating, vomiting, nausea, weight gain and difficulty breathing.

What are the most commonly used medications in ovulation induction?

Gonadotropins: It is an injectable medication. This medication is suggested to induce the release of eggs once the follicles are developed and after that the eggs will mature. Most common side effects include: mood swings, bloating, abdominal discomfort, restlessness or fatigue. In most of the cases, these side effects are relieved by follicular aspiration.

Gonadotropin is highly successful when it comes to inducing ovulation. More thn 90% of women taking this drug begin to ovulate. Pregnancy rates per cycle are generally around 15%. Approximately 15% of all pregnancies are twins, and 3% are triplets or higher order multiples.

Parlodel and/or Bromocriptine: These are oral medication which should be taken after the meals. These medications are suggested for lowering of the prolactin levels. Also, they help to reduce pituitary tumor size. These medications have very few side effects and are inexpensive. More than 90% of women using these medications experience normal menstrual cycles

Clomiphene citrate: It comes in tablet form. It is prescribed for women who have irregular or long menstrual periods. Most common side effects of this medication include: hot flashes, blurred vision, and headaches.

Metformin: It acts as an insulin lowering medication. It is prescribed for women with PCOS. It helps to reduce endocrine abnormalities that come with PCOS. This medication helps to reduce hair loss, decreases hair growth on your face and body, decreases high blood pressure, regulates your menstrual cycle, normal fertility and weight loss.

Who can benefit from ovulation induction?

Women who are seeking fertility treatment can benefit from ovulation induction. Also, women who are suffering from the following conditions can get benefit:

• Irregular menstruation


• PCOS


• Anovulation


• Pituitary disorders
  

Are there any factors that affect the success rate of ovulation induction?

Before considering ovulation induction, your fertility specialist will analyze the following factors:

• Your egg quality


• Your egg quantity

If these two factors are not perfect, then ovulation induction may not be the right choice for you.

More Subtle Sex Response In Women Than Men!

A new study proved that, when it comes to measure the sexual response, women and men are poles apart.

The study found that, men's reports of feeling sexually aroused tend to match their physiological responses, while women's mind and body responses are less aligned.

During the study, the participants were asked how provoked they felt throughout and after experiencing a range of sexual stimuli. This measure of arousal was compared with physiological responses such as: changes in genital blood flow for women and changes in penile erection for men.

Subjective rating for men was closely matched with their physiological measures when compared to women. Also, men’s bodies and brains were almost always in agreement, but there was an inconsistency reported between women’s bodies and brains.

The study also found that it was more likely for women to be sexually aroused physically and mentally if she was exposed to a number of stimuli including visuals and audio. In men, the amount or type of sexual stimuli did not play a significant factor in whether a man was both physically and mentally aroused.