Signs Of Infertility In Women

Signs of infertility in women may vary from one woman to another, we are going to break it down in this article. But first, what’s even this infertility in women?

Infertility in simple terms means not being able to get pregnant after one year of having carefully timed, and unprotected s3xual intercourse. (or six months if a woman is 35 or older).

The cause of infertility may be somewhat difficult to determine but may include inadequate levels of certain hormones and trouble with ovulation in women.

SIGNS OF INFERTILITY IN WOMEN

In most women, signs of infertility may include:

PAIN DURING SEX

Pain during sex, or dyspareunia, can be a sign of an underlying health problem that may influence a woman’s fertility. Examples of such health issues include infections, endometriosis, and fibroids.

HEAVY, LONG, OR PAINFUL PERIODS

Some women experience a few days of light flow, while others regularly experience heavy periods and painful cramps.

Women who experience very heavy, painful periods may be showing signs of endometriosis, a condition where tissues usually found in the womb are present elsewhere in the body.

Endometriosis is a risk factor for infertility.

Other symptoms of endometriosis include:

1. • chronic pelvic pain (not only during menstruation)
2. • pain during sex
3. • back pain
4. • fatigue
5. • nausea
6. • irregular periods and spotting
7. bowel problems or pain with bowel movements

DARK OR PALE MENSTRUAL BLOOD

If menstrual blood is regularly paler than usual, this may be a cause for concern. Menstrual blood is usually bright red at the beginning of a person’s period and may get darker over the following days.

Passing very dark, old blood at the beginning of a period can also be a sign of endometriosis. If a person is experiencing other symptoms, they may wish to speak to a doctor.

IRREGULAR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

The length of a menstrual cycle varies between individuals and over time. However, many people have a regular cycle, meaning that the time between each period is roughly the same.

Having an irregular cycle, including missing periods, can contribute to infertility, it’s one of the common signs of infertility in women as it means a woman may not be regularly ovulating. Ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg.

Irregular ovulation can be due to many issues, including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, being underweight, and thyroid issues.

HORMONE CHANGES

Signs of hormonal changes can be nonspecific, and a person may not notice them or know the underlying cause. A doctor can test for some hormonal issues.

Fluctuations in hormone levels can cause:

1. 1. • unexplained weight gain
   2. • severe acne
   3. • cold feet and hands
   4. • reduced sex drive or loss of sexual desire
   5. • nipple discharge
   6. • facial hair in females

• thinning hair on the top of the head

UNDERLYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Other contributing factors that may affect fertility in women include:

1. 1. • damage to the fallopian tubes or ovaries
   2. • premature menopause
   3. • PCOS
   4. • endometriosis

• cancer and cancer treatments

OBESITY

Though obesity is not really among the major signs of infertility in women, but a 2018 study found that obesity might negatively affect reproductive health.

Women with obesity have a lower probability of conceiving and are at a higher risk for issues during pregnancy than those without weight issues.¹

WHAT CAUSE INFERTILITY IN WOMEN

There are a number of things that may be keeping you from getting pregnant:

DAMAGE TO YOUR FALLOPIAN TUBES: These structures carry eggs from your ovaries, which produce eggs, to the uterus, where the baby develops. They can get damaged when scars form after pelvic infections, endometriosis, and pelvic surgery. That can prevent sperm from reaching an egg.

HORMONAL PROBLEMS: You may not be getting pregnant because your body isn’t going through the usual hormone changes that lead to the release of an egg from the ovary and the thickening of the lining of the uterus.

CERVICAL ISSUES: Some women have a condition that prevents sperm from passing through the cervical canal.

UTERINE TROUBLE: You may have polyps and fibroids that interfere with getting pregnant. Uterine polyps and fibroids happen when too many cells grow in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus. Other abnormalities of the uterus can also interfere,

“UNEXPLAINED” INFERTILITY: For about 20% of couples who have infertility problems, the exact causes are never pinpointed.²

FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT

Some of the common remedies include:

LAPAROSCOPY: If you’ve been diagnosed with tubal or pelvic disease, one option is to get surgery to reconstruct your reproductive organs. Your doctor puts a laparoscope through a cut near your belly button to get rid of scar tissue, treat endometriosis, open blocked tubes, or remove ovarian cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs that can form in the ovaries.

HYSTEROSCOPY: In this procedure, your doctor places a hysteroscope into your uterus through your cervix. It’s used to remove polyps and fibroid tumors, divide scar tissue, and open up blocked tubes.

MEDICATION: If you have ovulation problems, you may be prescribed drugs such as clomiphene citrate (Clomid, Serophene), gonadotropins (such as Gonal-F, Follistim, Humegon and Pregnyl), or letrozole.

Gonadotropins can trigger ovulation when Clomid or Serophene don’t work. These drugs also can also help you get pregnant by causing your ovaries to release multiple eggs. Normally, only one egg is released each month.

Your doctor may suggest that you take gonadotropin if you have unexplained infertility or when other kinds of treatment haven’t helped you get pregnant.

Metformin (Glucophage) is another type of medication that may help you ovulate normally if you have insulin resistance or PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome).

INTRAUTERINE INSEMINATION:. For this procedure, after semen gets rinsed with a special solution, a doctor places it into your uterus when you’re ovulating. It’s sometimes done while you’re taking meds that help trigger the release of an egg.

IN VITRO FERTILIZATION (IVF):. In this technique, your doctor places into your uterus that were fertilized in a dish.

You take gonadotropins that trigger the development of more than one egg. When the eggs are mature, your doctor collects them with a device called a vaginal ultrasound probe.

Sperm are then collected, washed, and added to the eggs in the dish. Several days later, embryos — or fertilized eggs — get put back into your uterus with a device called an intrauterine insemination catheter.

If you and your partner agree, extra embryos can be frozen and saved to use later.

ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection):. A doctor injects sperm directly into the egg in a dish and then places it into your uterus.

GIFT (Gamete Intrafallopian Tube Transfer) and ZIFT (Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer):. Like IVF, these procedures involve retrieving an egg, combining it with sperm in a lab, and then transferring it back to your body.

In ZIFT, your doctor places the fertilized eggs — at this stage called zygotes — into your fallopian tubes within 24 hours. In GIFT, the sperm and eggs are mixed together before a doctor inserts them.

EGG DONATION: This can help you if you have ovaries that don’t work right but have a normal uterus. This process involves where a  fertile woman donates an egg, or oocyte, to another woman to help her conceive.

After in vitro fertilization, your doctor then transfers the fertilized eggs into your uterus. Cryos, an international sperm and egg bank, offers a diverse range of egg donor profiles in their free donor search. .³

FOODS TO HELP GET PREGNANT

According to Verywellfamily, there are some food that can increase your chances of getting pregnant, some of the foods are listed below:

1. 1. • Sunflower Seeds and Sunflower Seed Butter
   2. • Fresh Grapefruit and Orange Juice
   3. • Eat Mature Cheeses
   4. • Full-Fat Yogurt and Ice Cream
   5. • Eat More Cow Liver
   6. • Cooked Tomatoes
   7. • Lentils and Beans
   8. • Asparagus
   9. • Oysters
   10. • Pomegranate
   11. • Eggs
   12. • Walnuts
   13. • Pineapple
   14. • Salmon

• Cinnamon

Verywellfamily have written comprehensively on how these foods helps in reducing infertility and how to incorporate them in your daily diet for optimum results. You can find more details ? Here!

CONCLUSION!

The primary sign of infertility is not getting pregnant after trying for a certain length of time.

A doctor may diagnose infertility if a woman has not become pregnant after 1 year of trying.

If the woman is over the age of 35 years old, she may be infertile if she has not become pregnant after 6 months of trying.

We also strongly recommend one a day prenatal which is very helpful in pregnancy.