Things have moved on greatly over the last 20 years with an increasingly wide choice of Infertility Treatments. There are a wide variety of treatments and they are available in a many forms tailored to the specific cause of infertility. In this post we’ll take a look at some of the principal forms of treatment for infertility. For more in depth coverage of this topic please check-out our main page on Infertility Treatments.
Reading good high-quality Infertility Information is crucial to understanding the problem. Once you comprehend the nature of the problem or problems you can move ahead from there. First thing for your infertility doctor to figure out is if the problem lies with the issue with the man or the woman or perhaps both? Perhaps there is a hormonal imbalance in the man or woman. This will be tested for during treatment. The medical history may show previous gynecological problems that may point to the source of the problem. There are self-help therapies you can try for yourself and you will read about some of these in other pages on our website. A high tech treatment such as IVF are also high cost and with the added concern that sometimes it can take several IVF cycles to get the result you want and even with the best care possible a positive result is by no means definite. Diet, nutrition, physical fitness and weight reduction for those that need it are also very positive things you can do yourselves. Acupuncture has shown some good results for many couples. An important step though is finding an Acupuncturist that specializes in fertility and ideally in your own area.
Only after a full year of regular sexual activity with no pregnancy is the diagnosis of Infertility ascribed. Even though this medical classification defines the condition of infertility after a year, this doesn’t necessarily indicate you are infertile. In reality many women will get pregnant inside of three years.
Of course there are many causes and reasons for Infertility problems in men and women. According to recent surveys, the statistical causes of a breakdown of fertility are; 32 % male, 32 % female, 17 % combined and 19 % of unknown causes. STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are major causes of infertility. Any current or on-going issues will need to be addressed straight away. Ovulation difficulties, tubal obstruction, uterine difficulties, past tubal ligation, PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), uterine conditions and endometriosis may all contribute to being infertile.
PID is a major problem that causes infertility. It is usually treated with antibiotics but due to the fact that inflammation can cause damage if not treated early there is a need to treat PID straight away before too much damage results.
Of course it is well-known that a woman’s age is a big element in her fertility. Many women have been delaying starting a family due to economic or other considerations such as career etc. so getting the message out to younger women that this is definitely they need to take on board if they want children is important. A woman’s natural ability to conceive reduces year on year as she ages – that is a simple fact of life. But the advances in fertility treatments have given hope to millions of women. Conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) are a major reason behind many women’s infertility problems and it is estimated many as 75 % of ovulation problems are PCOS related.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) occurs when infections spread into the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes or surrounding tissue. STD’s like Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are the two major common factors behind PID. Thus, specialist medical treatment is required to treat any underlying infection. Damage can be halted if treatment begins early. But even where there is damage there is still hope nowadays with the medical advances in fertility treatments.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome causes as much as 75 % of infertility in women. In these cases there are lots of healthy eggs but due to hormonal disorders the eggs do not release consistently. When these empty egg follicles form over the ovaries which are then known as cysts this is PCOS. This is where the name PCOS comes from. Many factors contribute to PCOS: higher Insulin stimulates the ovaries to make more testosterone which in turn disrupts the normal development of the follicles. As many as 40% of women have an elevated Luteinising Hormone (aka LH) which in turn is believed to increase testosterone and conflict with egg growth. Polycystic ovary syndrome can be a genetic issue with many women having a predisposition to get PCOS the genes. Obesity can also impact levels of insulin which may cause the problem or perhaps contribute along with other factors.
One problem to be aware of is that test kits for Ovulation frequently fail to work for women having polycystic ovary syndrome as the kits register the higher levels of LH as prediction of ovulation. This may not be the case for women with PCOS. Drug treatment to stimulate ovulation does work for a lot of women.
Disorders that impact the normal hormone output can certainly disturb fertility. For both men and women there are many component parts that all need to work for conception to occur. The pituitary gland, the ovaries, adrenal glands, the pancreas, hypothalamus, testicles in men and thyroid glands are all major players during this process of normal fertility.
Diet and lifestyle plays an extremely large contribution in producing fertility. For example smoking, alcohol, drug use introduces toxins into the body which is very disruptive to all systems in the body but particularly the reproductive system. Being over or under weight is another big factor that cannot be underestimated when considering infertility. A massive problem that has been growing over the last 3 decades is the impact on fertility caused through infection with sexually transmitted diseases. Stress also is a major factor that many people underestimate the impact on health. Very often we see people that take too little exercise and that may be a problem, but so too does over-rigorous exercise too cause infertility in some women. As you will see, diet and lifestyle are incredibly important considerations for your health and particularly an individual’s fertility. Unhealthy habits will need to be kicked.
Many infertility treatments and therapies carry with them risks it is always important to swat up on the information and be fully tuned into what drug and infertility treatments you take up. At the end of the day we are all responsible for our own health. We need to be involved in the decision process and question the professionals who you will come into contact with. This is all about a partnership effort to get you to the goal of conception