Women Causes of Infertility – The Major Issues of Female Infertility
The female’s ovulation capability is a vital component of conception success. Simply put, if the female is unable to produce an egg, you can expect to have no baby. The primary indicators of a potential problem with ovulation are either totally absent or intermittent monthly menstrual periods.
Female Conditions
Two common situations involving a woman’s ovulation are PCOS and POI. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is defined as a hormonal problem that interferes with the normal ovulation mechanism. This is the highest recorded reason for female infertility.
Primary ovarian insufficiency can also happen; it’s a condition when the proper functioning of the ovaries fail before the female turns 35 years of age. POI is usually mistaken as early-stage menopause, a condition that is a lot different.
Related Causes
There are other uterine problems that also contribute to infertility.
- Fibroids in the uterus, which are non-cancerous clumps on the uterine walls
- Clogged Fallopian tubes due to ectopic pregnancy surgery, pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis
- Physical problems with the uterus
Factors That Increase Infertility Risks
Besides problems with health, genetic and lifestyle factors can also influence infertility among women. These would include:
- Tobacco and alcohol use
- Poor diet
- Age creep
- Too much physical activity
- Stress at the workplace or home
- Under or overweight conditions
- Infections that are sexually transmitted
- Health issues that affect the body’s hormone producing abilities
Infertility Women Causes - The Age Factor
Often American women often do not have children until their 30s and 40s…and one-third of the total number of fertility issues involve women who are more than 35 years old.
Why is Age a Key Factor to Fertility?
- Ovaries deteriorate over time, and this affects their egg-releasing capability
- Older ovaries make fewer eggs
- The eggs released as not as healthy as a those of a younger woman
- Health problems that may interfere with fertility creep up as the woman gets older
- Incidence of miscarriage increases with age
Fertility Stimulating Medications
These drugs are often prescribed for women who have fertility problems.
- Clomiphene citrate: Often recommended for women with PCOS and hormonal related malfunctions. You might recognize it by its popular brand Clomid, an oral drug.
- Human menopausal gonadotropin: hMG is an injection used to stimulate the ovaries directly so that egg formation occurs. Pergonal and Repronex are just some of the popular brands.
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog: Gn-RH is a medication often prescribed for women who don’t ovulate regularly. It works on the pituitary gland to dictate when ovulation happens. You may buy either the injectable version or the nasal spray.
- Follicle stimulating hormone: The FSH is also an injectable and acts on the ovaries to encourage ovulation. Some of the more popular brands are Follistim and Gonal-F.
- Metformin: Metformin is recommended for females who are either highly resistant to insulin or are diagnosed with PCOS. This drug, usually taken with FSH or clomiphene, is designed to balance out the male hormone levels in the female body and help women ovulate.
- Bromocriptine: Prolactin is a hormone that helps start and increase milk productin in one’s mammary glands. Prolactin in sufficient levels causes ovulation to stop. Bromocriptine acts directly on prolactin, slowing it down, so that ovulation can occur.
Multiple Birth Risk
While fertility inducing drugs are highly successful at helping women have a baby, they also have a high chance of developing multiple fetuses. Women who have more than one fetus in their uterus have a higher risk of experience problems throughout the pregnancy compared to those with just one fetus. Multiple fetuses in the womb are more likely to be born premature…and a baby born prematurely has a higher risk of health issues going forward.
Fertility medications may lead to ovarian hyperstimulation, which is a medical condition that may threaten mortality.
Because of the increased risks to health plus the rising cost of assisted reproductive technology, infertility problems have addressed with alternative methods minus the adverse effects. These remedies cover a range from natural treatments which are intended to assist the body in repairing itself. Popular natural treatments include acupuncture, Chinese medicine, and nutritional therapy.
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