Underlying Reproductive Disorders That May Affect Your Ability To Conceive
Various things can affect your ability to conceive, but today we will be discussing issues specifically in relation to your reproductive system that may reduce your chances of getting pregnant.
1. Ovulatory Problems: These are the most common reason for women not to conceive and it usually a case of having irregular menstrual periods or no menstrual periods as all.
Irregular Menstrual Periods: This may mean that you are not ovulating, but it is still possible to conceive even if this is the case.
No Mentrual Periods At All: An absence of menstrual periods is known as Amenorrhoea and there are a number of factors that can cause your periods to stop completely including:
a) dramatic weight loss
b) obesity
c) Stress
d) emotional trauma
e) frequent travel to different time zones and
f) an underactive thyroid.
2. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS): This is a very common issue that affects fertility in women and one that is also on the increase. As many as 20-33% of women have polycystic ovaries, whilst 5-10% have PCOS.
This fertility disorder is caused by a hormonal imbalance that causes the body to overstimulate the follicles in the ovaries. What happens is that a number of these follicles begin developing but before they reach maturity, which is the stage at which ovulation occurs, they stop growing. So if you suffer from PCOS you would have infrequent ovulation, if you ovulate at all.
PCOS is usually diagnosed by ultrasound, but other methds include laparoscopy and blood tests. Other symptoms of PCOS include:
1) irregular periods or no periods
2) being overweight and havingdifficulty losing it
3) difficulty trying to conceive
4) recurrent miscarriage
5) excess hair of the face and body and acne and mood swings
The are 2 main variations of PCOS.
A) At one end is the thin, wiry, restless, women who ovulates irregulary or infrequently and has high levels of testoterone and
B) At the other end, is the overweight woman who also has infrequent periods or has stopped ovulating altogether.
3. Endomeriosis: This occurs when the cells of the endometrium (the womb linning) start growing outside the uterus.
The severity of endometriosis is determined on a sliding scale of satges 1 – 4 and the level of pain you experience may not be indicative of the endometriosis you have. This is because some women only have a small amount and are in chronic pain, while others have it extensively, but feel nothing.
It is a common problem, occuring in roughly 1 in 10 women of childbearing age, and it can cause infertility because of scarring, irritation, and adhesion within the fallopian tubes, preventing the smooth passage of the egg.
It can also cause damage to the ovaries and implantation issues. Symptoms of endometriosis include:
a) cramping pain in the lower abdomen, lower back, rectum, and even in the back of the legs
b) severe period pain
c) pain during intercourse
d) painful bowel movements
e) bleeding between periods
f) bloating
g) pain on unrinating.
The condition is usually diagnosed by ultrasound or laparoscopy.
The treatment given for endometriosis depends on how badly you have it. In some cases the gynaecologist will recommend laser surgery or diathermy to remove cysts and lesions.
The other form of treatment is the use of oral medication pills, nasal spray or injection.
The sad thing is that it can cause lasting damage to your reproductive organs, and even if it is cleared up, you may still not be able to conceive naturally.
4. Fibroids: These are firm lunps (benign tumours) that grow inside and outside the uterus – inside the muscle and the under linning.
They can affect women of nay age; as many as 40% of women over 35 have them.
Many women are not aware of them, but in a small %, they cause problems, including issues with fertility. It is thought that they get in the way of the process by which the egg implants in the uterine linning.
Fibroids can also block the fallopian tube and prevent the egg from bein fertilised.
Also fibroids underneath the linning of the uterus may cause implantation issues, while if located near the entrance to the fallopian tubes, they can cause blockages.
Common symptons of fibroids include:
a) abdominal pain
b) heavy bleeding
c) bleeding between periods
d) anaemia
e) pain during intercourse
f) bloating
g) urinary problems – in some case, the pressure from the fibroids on your bladder can make you go more often
h) bowel problems – the same as above, but in addition, the pressure can cause constipation.
g) miscarriage and premature birth – fibroids can increase in size during pregnancy and create compications during birth. It is also possibel to have fibroids and not have any symptoms at all.
Fibroids are usually detected through routine examination or by pelvic ultrasound and there are a number of treatment options:
1) Surgery – there are a range of surgical options, depending on your age and the severity of your fibroids. You need to discuss any surgery with your doctor as the procedure itself can cause scarring, which can contribute to fertility problems
2) Uterine artery embolization (sometimes referred to as UAE or UFE ) – this procedure involces cutting off the blood supply to the fibroids and it has a 60-90% success rate.
3) Hormone treatments can shrink the fibroids, but are not suitable if you are trying to conceive.
