CAUSES OF INFERTILTY AND TREATMENT

Infertility is inability to pregnant after one year of trying. Or inability to pregnant after six months, if a woman is 35years or older. Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant can also be infertile. Pregnancy involves many steps. Before a woman gets pregnant, she must ovulate (release egg from one of her ovaries). Then the egg must pass through an oviduct or fallopian tube to the uterus. Along the way, a man’s sperm fertilizes the egg.
Then the fertilized egg will attach itself to the wall of the uterus (implantation). Infertility occurs when there are problems with any of these steps. Infertility is common problem and it is not just a woman’s problem. Both men and women may have problems that leads to infertility. One-third of infertility conditions originates from women’s problems. Another one-third caused by men’s problems. The other cases may be due to combination of men and women problems or undiscovered problems.

Some women gets pregnant within six months of trying. About 90% of women of women will get pregnant after twelve months of unprotected sexual intercourse. Symptoms of infertility may include: irregular or abnormal menstrual periods in women; hormonal problems in men such as changes in hair growth or sexual functions.

You don’t need to be too bothered about your infertility until after at least one year of trying to conceive. Or a woman of 34 or older who has been trying to conceive for six months or longer. These two occasion may require the person to consult a doctor. Also you need to consult a doctor earlier when you are having irregular or painful periods; when you have been diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease and when you have had more than one miscarriage.

A man should consult his doctor when he has: low sperm count, a history of testicular, prostate or sexual problems.

Causes

Infertility in men. Infertility in men is most often caused by:

Varicocele. This is the enlargement of veins on the man’s testicles. As a result, the testicles becomes heated. This heat affects the morphology of the sperm and also decreases the number of the sperm.

Movement of the sperm. This may be caused by the morphology of the sperm. Damage to the reproductive system sometimes block the sperm.

On certain occasion, a man may be born with some problems that affects his sperm. Other times, the problem may be as a result of illness or injury. Cystic fibrosis often causes infertility in men.

Infertility in women. Cases of infertility in women is mostly caused by ovulation problems. Signs that a woman is not ovulating normally include irregular or no menstrual periods. Ovulation problems are often caused by:

Bypolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This PCOS is caused by hormone imbalance problem disturbing the normal ovulation. This is most common cause of infertility in women.

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). This happens when a woman’s ovary ceases to work under normal conditions before she is 40. POI is not different from early menopause.

Blocked fallopian tubes in women; uterine problems and uterine fibroids can also cause infertility.

Treatment

Infertility can be treated with surgery, medicine, artificial insemination or assisted reproductive technology. These treatments may be combined. Drugs and surgery are used for treating infertility in most cases.

Doctor prescribe treatments specifically depending on: age of the couples, test results, health of the partners and how long the couples have been trying to get pregnant.

Infertility in men can be treated by a doctor in the following ways:

Sexual problems. Drugs and behavioral therapy can be used in this condition. Consult your doctor to help you deal with premature ejaculation and impotency.

Too few sperm. Surgery can be effective in solving this problem. Infections affecting the sperm count can cleared up using antibiotics.

Sperm movement. In some cases, Surgery can be used correcting this problem.

For women, some physical problems may be corrected with surgery.

You should consult your doctor about the drugs used in treating ovulation problem. You should know the possible benefits, dangers and side effects. Common medicines that is used in treating infertility in women include:

Clomiphene citrate (clomid). The medicine acts on the pituitary gland thereby producing ovulation. It is taken by the mouth. It is often used in treating women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome or any other ovulation problem.

Human menopausal gonadotropin (repronex, pergonal). Used in treating women that don’t ovulate due to problems with their pituitary gland. These drugs will act directly on their ovaries to induce ovulation. It is administered by injection.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (gonal-F, Follistim). It stimulates ovulation. It is administered through injection.

Metformin (glucophage).  It’s normally used for women who have insulin resistance. It helps in lowering high levels of male hormones in women. This will help the woman to ovulate. You can combine it with FSH or Clomiphene Citrate. It is taken by mouth.

Bromocriptine (parlodel). It is use in treating women that have ovulation problem due to high level of prolactin (milk production hormone).

Some of these fertility drugs increases the woman’s chance of having twins or triplets, other multiples. Multiple pregnancies may cause problems. Also there is risk of premature childbirth. Premature babies may have high risk of health and developmental problems.