By Dr. Pallavi Vasal, Gynaecology
Infertility refers to the woman who is not fertile. It’s an inability of a woman to get pregnant after having an unprotected intercourse for an year or six months or so if you are 35 or older. This also refers to a state of not having menstruation for longer periods or contributing towards contraception.
Causes:
- Fallopian Damage: These are the tubes that carry ovaries to uterus. Damaging of fallopian tube causes increased risk of infertility in women.
- Ovulation: It is the damaging of ovaries when fully matured eggs are moved through the tubes to the uterus.
- Hormonal Problems: Anomalies in hormonal changing i.e improper working of hormones may result to infertility. Lack of estrogen hormones or irregular thickening in the line of uterus.
- Cervical Problems: This problem includes the obstruction of sperms while passing through the cervical canal.
- Uterine Issues: You could be having fibroids or polyps while getting pregnant that may cause thickening of uterus(womb).
- ‘Unexplained’ Infertility: This could be more dangerous than the normal causes. As cause is unknown , it can lead to any type of disorder relating infertility.
- Family History.
Symptoms:
- Painful sensation in uterus lining.
- Having thyroid disorders.
- Fibroids or polyps.
- Gone through HRT.
- The main symptom of infertility is not being able to become pregnant after having an unprotected sex after a year of trying or after six months.
- Absence of menstrual periods,menstrual cramps or multiple miscarriages may add to its symptoms.
What are the possible available treatments?
- Fertility Medications and Drugs: These drugs trigger ovulation,but irrespective of making a woman fertile it can lead to multiple births or twins.
- Surgery: The famous of the surgeries include the laparoscopy surgery. It is basically minimally invasive surgery, that removes the blockage and repairs the fallopian tubes.
- Insemination: Often known as artificial insemination, sometimes combines with the surgeries for better results. Sperm from a man is placed into the uterus of a woman to produce better baby.
- In-Vitro Fertilization: This process leads to the production of embryos in the laboratory in which sperm is taken from man and egg from a woman and combined to form an embryo in the laboratory.
If you’re a woman thinking about getting pregnant soon or in the future, you may improve your chances of having normal fertility if you:
- Maintain a normal weight.
- Quit smoking.
- Avoid alcohol.
- Reduce stress.
- Limit caffeine.