What Causes Infertility? Problems with ovulation are the most common reasons for infertility in women. A woman's age, hormonal imbalances, weight, exposure to chemicals or radiation and cigarette smoking all have an impact on fertility.
The most common overall cause of female infertility is the failure to ovulate, which occurs in 40% of women with infertility issues. Not ovulating can result from several causes, such as: Ovarian or gynecological conditions, such as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
The main symptom of infertility is the inability to get pregnant. A menstrual cycle that's too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular or absent can mean that you're not ovulating. There might be no other signs or symptoms.
If you don't get pregnant after one year of trying, talk to your doctor. If you're 35 years old or older, you should see your doctor after six months of trying without success to get pregnant. If you have a possible sign of infertility before the one-year mark, your doctor can run some basic fertility tests.
Your doctor will give you a pelvic exam. They may also use an ultrasound to look at your ovaries and uterus, and give you a blood test to check your hormones. Sometimes you'll need to start tracking your ovulation patterns by checking your cervical mucus, taking your temperature, or using home ovulation tests.
Age. Although advanced age plays a much more important role in predicting female infertility, couples in which the male partner is 40 years old or older are more likely to report difficulty conceiving. Being overweight or obese. Smoking.
Does stress cause infertility? While it's unlikely that stress alone can cause infertility, stress interferes with a woman's ability to get pregnant. Research has shown that women with a history of depression are twice as likely to experience infertility. Anxiety also can prolong the time needed to achieve pregnancy.
You could be worrying that you never will. However, there are many possible reasons why you aren't conceiving, including ovulation irregularities, structural problems in the reproductive system, low sperm count, underlying medical problems, or simply not trying enough.
A number of lifestyle factors affect fertility in women, in men, or in both. These include but are not limited to nutrition, weight, and exercise; physical and psychological stress; environmental and occupational exposures; substance and drug use and abuse; and medications.
The main cause of poor egg quality is age, but it is not the only one; there can be other reasons too, including but not limited to pelvic radiation, ovarian surgery, any reproductive illness, genetic abnormalities, chemotherapy, excess consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and some unknown factors.
The main reason fertility decreases with age is because the quality of a woman's eggs declines as she gets older. And, as women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, older women have fewer eggs. The natural aging process also means higher chances of miscarriage and having a child with a genetic condition.
Tubal blockages or damage may be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, previous surgeries, ectopic pregnancy or tubal ligation. Most women with damaged or blocked fallopian tubes do not experience any symptoms.
In 85% to 90% of cases, infertility is treated with conventional medical therapies, such as medication or surgery. If fertility treatments are unsuccessful, it is possible to use eggs or sperm donated by a third party or to have another woman carry a fetus. Select a category of treatment to learn more.
“Poor nutrition, increased BMI, smoking and excessive alcohol and drug use are major factors contributing to infertility. “But these factors are controllable, and we see many patients every year, who are able to conceive with very little assistance once they have made lifestyle modifications.”
When you are born, this number has reduced to around two million and by the time you reach puberty and begin menstruation (start your periods) you will have somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 eggs remaining. At menopause, you will have 1,000 to 2,000 eggs remaining.
Most at-home FSH tests are very similar to pregnancy tests administered at home. For easy testing, use a small cup to collect urine from the first urination of the day. Then dip the testing stick into the urine sample and place on a flat surface while the test results register.
Ovulation disorders
Conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affect normal ovulation. Irregular ovulation is also a problem. Being overweight can add to ovulation problems and reduce your chances of conceiving. Stress, very low body weight, and excessive exercise also impact ovulation.
The AMH blood test has become more common in the past 15 years, but another way to determine a woman's ovarian reserve is to conduct an antral follicle count during a transvaginal ultrasound. This method, which entails counting the follicles seen on the screen, is also useful, along with AMH, explains Amanda N.
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
Fertility generally starts to reduce when a woman is in her early 30s, and more so after the age of 35. By age 40, the chance of getting pregnant in any monthly cycle is around 5%.