Showing posts with label Female Infertility Issues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Female Infertility Issues. Show all posts

Thursday, March 4, 2010

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

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What Increases A Woman’s Risk Of Infertility?

Most of the risk factors for infertility are same for men and women, but some are different.

If you're under 35 and have had frequent unprotected sex for more than a year without conceiving, there is a good chance that you or your partner may have a condition that is interfering with your chances of conceiving, but only a doctor can diagnose a fertility problem for sure.

Risk factors of infertility for women:

Many things can change a woman’s ability to have a baby. They include:

Age: Maternal age is probably the most significant risk factor that is related to a woman’s ability to conceive. As age increases, the ability of ovaries to produce normal and healthy eggs decreases, so the chance of becoming pregnant decreases.

Even you conceive during 30’s, there are great chances for chromosomal abnormalities and unsuccessful implantation. The ability of successful pregnancy starts to decrease from your 30s.

Endometriosis: It is estimated that 40-50% of the infertile women may have endometriosis. Endometriosis can disrupt the ovaries' normal cycle of egg development and release. Scar tissue from endometriosis can form adhesions around the ovary and restrict the available surface area of the ovary for egg release.

Diabetes: Women with uncontrolled diabetes are more likely to have fertility problems. When insulin resistance is controlled through diet, exercise and in some cases use of diabetes drugs such as metformin fertility tends to improve. For women with diabetes, good blood sugar control improves pregnancy rates and the success rate of pregnancy.

PCOS: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility and is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Many women with PCOS are also diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Irregular periods: Irregular periods can be troublesome when trying to get pregnant. Irregular or abnormal ovulation and menstruation accounts for 30% to 40% of all cases of infertility. Women with irregular periods are often prescribed fertility drugs like Clomid to increase the number of ovulation periods.

Smoking: Women who smoke are 60% more likely to become infertile than nonsmokers.
Smoking can significantly delay the time of conception. It takes them longer time to become pregnant when they try to conceive.

Even you consider IVF procedure; smoking has a devastating effect on a woman’s chance of bearing a baby.

Overweight: Many women who are overweight wonder if this is a factor in their infertility. Today, in America, nearly 50% of women between the ages of 25 and 55 are overweight. The issue that is more common for overweight women is ovulation problems.

STDs: Approximately 65 million people in the United States have an STD. STDs can cause severe damage for a woman’s reproductive organs. Recent studies showed that 38 percent of infertility cases are caused by STDs.

Pelvic inflammatory disease: It is an inflammation of a woman's upper reproductive tract, including the structures of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. The relationship between PID and infertility is relatively well accepted. PID causes infertility by the scarring process that occurs during the healing of sexually transmitted infections.

Fallopian tube damage: Damage of fallopian tubes is the most common cause infertility. About 20-25% of infertility cases are due to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. This is usually caused by either pelvic infection or pelvic endometriosis.

Thyroid disease: Thyroid disease and infertility affects each other condition. Women who have a family history of hypothyroidism need to be extra diligent about getting tested for the presence of the antibodies. This condition can lead to not only infertility, but miscarriage, premature babies, growth issues for the child, and may also contribute to more complications later in the pregnancy.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Link Between Sex And Cervical Cancer!

Recent study found that having sex at an early age may double the risk of cervical cancer. Sexually active younger women are at great risk from the disease.

Also, the study stated that the age at which women had their first baby can also a contributing factor for cervical cancer. Also, smoking and multiple sex partners can increase the risk of cervical cancer.

The study stated that poorer women have a higher risk of cervical cancer because they are likely to have sex four years earlier than more affluent women. If you have started having sex at young age and have multiple sex partners, then you have great chances for developing cervical cancer.

During the young ages, your cervix is underdeveloped and has an immature epithelium (top most layer of tissue on the cervix). With this immature epithelium, virus that cause cervical cancer can be easily penetrated into it and increase your chances of developing the infection.

The best way to protect from cervical cancer is by not having multiple sex partners and having safe and well protected sex. Also, cervical cancer vaccination protects young women from the risk of cervical cancer. Also, getting regular Pap test can help to detect abnormal cervical cells that indicate cancer risk.


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

How Uterine Polyps Causes Infertility?

Uterine polyps are excess tissues that grow on the inner walls of your uterus.

Uterine polyps can develop in women of any age, but generally they develop in women during their 40’s and 50’s.

Uterine polyps sometimes cause problem with fertility or can increase your risk of miscarriage.

A normal and healthy uterine cavity and endometrial lining is necessary for a woman to conceive and maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Most of the polyps are very small and do not represent a compromise to reproductive capabilities. But, larger and multiple polyps can interfere with the reproduction and thus causing infertility or increases the risk of miscarriage.

What will polyps do in our body?

Usually, uterine polyps nourish on estrogen hormone. If you have more estrogen with uterine polyps, your polyps will grow more and more. Once these polyps attain a certain size, then they swill tart to protrude into your uterine cavity.

The size of polyps ranges from a few millimeters to several centimeters. Usually, polyps are attached to the uterine walls by a large base or a thin stalk. During in some cases, these polyps are slips down into the cervix.

How polyps affect your fertility?

Polyps reduce the blood flow to the parts of endometrial lining. This can disrupt the fertilization of fertilized embryo from implanting in the endometrial lining. Even after the implantation of embryo, these polyps can cause a miscarriage.

Studies showed that removing the polyps can boost a woman’s fertility if she was previously infertile. For instance, one study showed that 63% of women who have uterine polyps became pregnant via intrauterine insemination (IUI) after they had their polyps removed.

What are the symptoms that you experience with uterine polyps?

For some women polyps won’t cause any symptoms. But some may experience symptoms such as:
  • Painful or heavy periods

  • Unpredictable or irregular menstrual bleeding

  • Vaginal bleeding even after the menopause

  • Infertility
What are the treatments used to remove polyps?

Most of the polyps do not require any treatment. But treatment is suggested for people who experience severe discomfort. They include:

Hormonal medications: Progestins and GnRH agonists are recommended to stop estrogen production so that polyps will slowly shrink down.

Surgical method: Polypectomy is a surgical procedure used to remove uterine polyps. This treatment is suggested mostly for infertile women.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

How Does Fibroids Lead To Infertility?

Fibroids are smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. They grow from the muscle cells of the uterus and are also called uterine leiomyomas, or myomas.

Fibroids are benign and are most commonly found in young women.

Uterine fibroids can cause infertility, but not in every woman. But, they can affect your fertility to a great extent.

Generally uterine fibroids are of three types, such as:

Subserosal fibroids: They develop on the outer lining of your uterus. They are less symptomatic or asymptomatic unless they become severe. They give your uterus a bumpy look.

These tumors can cause pelvic pain, cramping, frequent urination and back pain. If they become large enough, they can affect your kidneys and other surrounding organs.

These fibroids won’t cause any infertility issues, but when they become large; they can put pressure on your ovaries, fallopian tubes and inhibit their function.

Intramural fibroids: They develop in the muscles of your uterus. They grow in round shape and greatly vary in sizes from microscopic to massive. These fibroids cause your uterus to become enlarge.

Some of the symptoms of intramural fibroids include: cramping, menstrual bleeding, prolonged periods, back pain and pelvic pain. These fibroids won’t cause any noticeable symptoms. They can only be discovered while performing vaginal examination or during any infertility treatment.

These fibroids can cause problems when you are trying to conceive. Also, they are problematic during implantation and lead to miscarriage.

Submucous fibroids: These are very much linked with fertility. They develop inside of your uterus. They interfere with uterine lining development and placement, which can lead to miscarriage and problems while implantation.

These fibroids cause excessive bleeding and painful periods. They develop as a stack and can project from the stack into the uterus. If these tumors become large, your uterus may identify them as foreign substance and contract to eject it. If this is the case, you will experience severe pain like labor pains.

Fibroids can be recognized during regular checkup, but this is not always the case. Commonly, they are found during surgery or ultrasound scan. Severe fibroids require treatment or surgery for fibroid removal.

One of the surgical procedures is myomectomy, in which fibroids are removed one by one. This is the most common treatment for women who want to conceive. Before going to decide, talk with your infertility specialist about what treatments are suitable for you.



Thursday, October 29, 2009

Can Luteal Phase Defect Cause Fertility Problems?

Luteal phase defect (LPD) is a most common problem in women with fertility issues.

LPD can impact your fertility and prevents implantation. Finally this can lead to miscarriage.

Do you know what luteal phase defect is?

During your normal menstrual cycle, LPD will start followed by ovulation and it continues until your period starts.

In this time, the corpus luteum releases progesterone hormone and makes your endometrial lining ready for implantation.

Women with luteal phase defect are unable to produce sufficient progesterone hormone during luteal phase or endometrium doesn’t respond properly to the stimulation of progesterone hormone. Finally it leads endometrial lining to prepare improperly and makes it difficult for implantation.

What causes luteal phase defect?

The causes of luteal phase defect are difficult to find out. There are various factors that can affect your menstrual cycle and trigger the production of progesterone hormone during the luteal phase.

In rare conditions, LPD can lead to hyperprolactinemia or thyroid problems in some women. Hyperprolactinemia happens when you have high levels of prolactin hormone, which is responsible for production of milk.

Here are some causes of luteal phase defect:
  • Poor follicle production, occurs due to the improper production of follicle stimulating hormone

  • Premature failure of the corpus luteum, occurs when the initial quality of the follicle/corpus luteum is adequate

  • Failure of the uterine lining to respond, occurs even in the presence of adequate follicle development and a corpus luteum that persists for the appropriate length of time
What type of symptoms will appear?

Most of the women can’t notice any symptoms until they experience problems when they try to conceive. Women with luteal phase defect will get normal menstrual cycle. Only a few women experience frequent but light periods.

How to find the condition of luteal phase defect?

The best way is charting your basal body temperature. During the luteal phase, your basal body temperature will rise. When you chart your basal body temperature, you may observe that your temperature is not elevated during the luteal phase.

Women who are charting their ovulation can find that their periods occur sooner than the average 14 days after ovulation.

How to correct the problem of LPD?

No need to worry, because luteal phase defect can be easily corrected. Consult your doctor before starting any treatments. Usually, luteal phase defect can be corrected with over-the-counter remedies or prescription drugs.

Over-the-counter drugs for luteal phase defect:

Vitamin B6 and progesterone cream are the two main over the counter remedies. You can take vitamin B6 in dosages from 50-200 mg. vitamin B6 can help to prolong your luteal phase. Progesterone is suggested for menopausal women and it helps to lengthen the luteal phase. Use a cream with natural progesterone.

Prescription drugs for luteal phase defect:

Clomid or progesterone suppositories can be suggested for LPD. Take clomid as suggested by your doctor. Progesterone suppositories are used through the vagina after occurring the ovulation.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Effects Of STDs On Your Fertility!

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)! Are you having problems in getting pregnant?

Then immediately set up an appointment with your doctor and get tested your sexual health.

You and your partner get tested for STDs and ensure that you are in good sexual health before trying to conceive.

It is very important to monitor your sexual health and be aware of STDs, particularly when you are trying to conceive.

Having regular tests can prevent fertility problems and prevent the infections and STDs from spreading further.

So, whenever you are planning to conceive, get yourself and your partner tested immediately.

Types of STDs and their effects on your fertility:

Most often, STDs are greatly related to infertility. There are various types of STDs that can cause serious life-threatening reactions to less serious ones. If you think that you have an STD, get treated immediately. Leaving STDs untreated can cause various effects on your fertility.

Chlamydia: Most common STD and every year, it affects millions of men and women. This is due to the bacteria existed in vaginal fluid or semen. This disease is transmitted through sexual intercourse. If the condition is untreated, it can cause infertility and also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. It can cause damage to the fallopian tubes and makes it impossible for pregnancy to occur.

HIV/AIDS: HIV virus causes AIDS. This disease is transmitted through sexual intercourse and by sharing needles, blood transfusion and also through blood milk.

Gonorrhea: It is caused by a bacterium, which live in body fluids and transmitted through sexual intercourse. Gonorrhea leads to infertility and also pelvic inflammatory diseases.

Herpes: This STD is transmitted through skin to skin contact. Herpes can cause burning, itching of your anus and genitals.

Syphilis: Transmitted through sexual contact from an infected person. If the disease is detected in early stages, it can be treated effectively. If it is left untreated, it can lead to conditions like blindness and also some psychological disorders.

Trichomaniasis: Most common STD transmitted through sexual contact. The disease can lead to swelling of the fallopian tubes and makes it impossible for pregnancy to occur and finally leads to infertility.

Pubic lice: Also known as crabs and look like small and parasitic insects. These stick to the hair over your body that is on pubic hair. Crabs can cause irritation and itching of the skin at affected area.

Hepatitis B: Transmitted through sexual intercourse, by sharing the needles and infected blood. Symptoms of hepatitis B include: fever, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. This is a most serious disease and can cause liver damage.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Premature Ovarian Failure And Infertility!

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a condition that affects approximately 1 out of every 1000 women who are between 15-29 years of age.

This condition leads to stop in the normal functioning of ovaries in women younger than 40.

Some practitioners also uses a term primary ovarian failure to describe this condition.

Also, this condition is known as hypergonadotropic hypogonadism or premature menopause.

How to know that you have POF?

The first and the most common symptom in women with premature ovarian failure is irregular periods. Some women experience the symptoms similar to a menopausal woman, such as:
  • Poor concentration

  • Decrease in breast size

  • Lack of breast development during puberty

  • Irritability

  • Hot flashes

  • Night sweats

  • Vaginal dryness

  • Infertility

  • Pain during intercourse

  • Bladder problems

  • Sleep problems

  • Mood swings

  • Decreased sexual desire
Some women with premature ovarian failure may also experience other health conditions and some of them are so serious. They include:
  • Heart disease

  • Osteoporosis

  • Addison’s disease

  • Low thyroid function
What kind of treatments help to overcome from the symptoms of POF?

Frankly speaking, there is no such treatment that can bring your ovaries to work normally. But there are some treatments that help to relieve some of the symptoms of POF.

Hormone replacement therapy is one of the most popular methods that help women with lower estrogen levels and other hormonal deficiencies. Hormonal therapies help women to have regular periods and also lower the risk of osteporosis. Testosterone therapy helps to prevent bone loss in women with premature ovarian failure.

Women with POF who want to have children can find various option such as donor eggs, fertility treatments or adopting a child. Some of the fertility treatments include:
  • Danazol

  • Human menopausal gondotropins (hMG)

  • Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)

  • Clomid

  • Estradiol corticosteroids
What causes premature ovarian failure?

For most of the women, the cause of POF is unknown. Causes which are identified include:
  • Genetics

  • Eatingdisorders

  • Turner syndrome

  • Autoimmune disorders

  • Viral infectionn

  • Thyroid dysfunction

  • Radiation therapy or chemotherapy

  • Insufficient gondaotropin secretion or action

  • Hysterectomy
About 10-20% of women with premature ovarian failure are due to family history. Women with POF are unlikely to become pregnant because their ovaries do not work properly. During these cases, there are no proven treatments that improve your fertility.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

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.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

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.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

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.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

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).