Pregnancy Miracle

Understanding Infertility in Both Women and Men

Infertility is a condition that both men and women can have which causes reproduction complications. Since conception is a complicated process, a variety of factors can cause couples to have trouble conceiving. This problem is usually diagnosed by physicians after a couple has had no success with trying to reproduce after one year or longer. Sometimes a woman can become pregnant, but will have a miscarriage if the embryo isn’t healthy or her hormonal factors aren’t sufficient for the embryo’s development.

Both partners will be given a physical examination to evaluate any physical disorders that may be causing the infertility. Since males and females both can be infertile, they both undergo an examination. For women, the testing includes ovulation evaluation, laparoscopy, and an x-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes. The testing on men initially focuses on semen evaluation, as the most common factors for male infertility includes either azoospermia or oligospermia, meaning no or too few sperm cells are produced. Cystic fibrosis can also cause infertility problems in males, although rarely.

Doctors will also interview a couple about their sexual habits in order to determine whether the intercourse itself is causing problems for conception. Couples over the age of 35 will have more trouble conceiving than younger couples, and the effectiveness of treatment also decreases. Thus, men and women who have trouble conceiving after six months to a year should visit a doctor as soon as possible, as the chances of success will decrease year after year.

Couples deal with infertility treatment differently. It all depends on how far they are willing to go in seeking help. Some will try medicine but don’t want to have surgery, while others will do whatever it takes. Some will even try holistic approaches that focus on lifestyle, dieting, and physical therapy. Counseling is also available to help couples with the emotional aspects of being unable to have children.

Usually, doctors prescribe to women the medicine clomiphene, which stimulates ovaries in order to trigger a release of eggs, thus increasing the chances of getting pregnant. This medicine includes Serophene, Clomid, and Milophene, and is generally considered to be both effective and safe. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for everyone, and hormone shots are the next option.

The side effects of hormonal shots can be somewhat problematic for women who have large ovarian cysts. However, they are highly effective, so much in fact that it’s common for women who receive the injections to become pregnant with twins or triplets.

A Look at Common Factors That Cause Infertility

There are a number of factors that can cause infertility in both women and men. Some of the most common risk factors for women include: age, ovulation disorder, having a history of STD’s, exposure to certain toxins, abnormal hormone levels, and lifestyle factors. Many people don’t realize that bad lifestyle choices and habits can cause infertility, but they really can. Some of them are easy to overcome and others are not.

Lifestyle habits that can cause infertility include:

• Smoking, taking drugs, and alcohol consumption.

• Stress, as it can cause irregular periods. In a man’s case, it can reduce the sperm count.

• Unhealthy diets, such as anorexia and binging/purging (bulimia).

• Excessive exercising and physical activity.

• Certain sexual habits, such as using lubricants.

For the most part, these can be overcome. However, for some individuals, the damage can already be done and irreversible. This is particularly true for individuals over 35 who have physical damage to their reproductive systems. In such cases, medical treatment or even surgery may be needed in order to help a couple to conceive; that is, if the reproductive system can still be repaired.

Untreated STD’s and pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID’s) can also cause infertility. The most common PID’s are gonorrhea and chlamydia. According to studies, 21% of women with a PID are infertile. This is because such diseases can cause damage and scarring to the reproductive tract, which blocks the fallopian tubes. Women infected with a PID experience no symptoms, which is why they often go untreated.

STD’s can cause infertility in both men and women. Men who are infected with a sexually transmitted disease often develop epididymitis, which can cause inflammation in the vessels that transfer semen through the male reproductive system. Obviously, this can cause a blockage that results in male infertility. Men who are untreated can also transfer the STD to their girlfriends or wives, causing them to have reproductive problems also.

Some women have ovulation disorders. This means that their eggs either don’t properly develop or they do so irregularly. This condition is referred to as anovulation. Women who never develop or release eggs have a condition known as anovulatory. Usually, medication can help treat such conditions, although it’s not guaranteed to always help.

Sometimes a woman might only experience a menstrual period every now and then due to a condition called amenorrhea. There are different levels of this condition which can be caused by a number of different underlying reasons. There are many possible explanations for amenorrhea, although they can be hard to identify. Fortunately, once doctors identify the underlying problems, treatment is easily available.

A Guide to 4 Well-Known Fertility Drugs for Women

Women who are infertile and don’t produce eggs seek out a variety of treatments. The most effective medications are the ones that help regulate ovulation. These medications work like natural hormones in order to trigger ovulation. In addition to helping with ovulation, fertility drugs are also believed to help protect women against cervical cancer. Some of the most well-known drugs include: Human Menopausal Gonadotropins (HMG’s), Clomiphene, Bromocriptine, and Aromatase inhibitors. Some women also seek alternative solutions, such as herbs, vitamins, and chiropractic.

• The Human Menopausal Gonadotrophins, aka HMG, is a drug injected into women who are infertile due to the failure of their pituitary glands to trigger ovulation. In other words, HMG works by directly simulating the ovaries. This medication can work for women who have cervical problems and unexplained fertility problems. A woman on HMG is required to be monitored regularly with ultrasounds so that the doctor can check on the progress of the eggs being released.

• Another useful drug is Clomiphene, which works by triggering a release of Follicle Stimulating Hormones (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormones (LH). This helps to increase egg growth and is considered to be very safe. Clomiphene is a lot less risky than most other fertility drugs. It’s particularly helpful and beneficial for women who have irregular menstrual cycles and/or a polycystic ovary syndrome. It is taken orally and has a success rate of about 60%.

• Next is Bromocriptine. This medicine helps by suppressing prolactin, which is a hormone that can stop ovulation if released in large amounts. In some women, prolactin is released in elevated levels, and causes an irregular ovulation cycle as a result. Bromocriptine is considered safe for the most part, although there are some side effects such as headaches and nausea. The good news is that it is one of the most effective fertility medications, as 90% of women release eggs while on it.

• A newer treatment involves Aromatase inhibitors. Ordinarily used for the treatment of breast cancer, these are now also being used for inducing ovulation. This class of drugs include Femara (letrozole tablets) and Arimidex (anastrozole). Letrozole tablets are NOT approved by the FDA as an infertility treatment, but some doctors prescribe it to infertile women anyway.

It’s believed by some that Aromatase inhibitors can suppress estrogen levels, which results in the hormones that trigger ovulation. There are debates as to whether this is a helpful treatment or not, so for the time being women should consider a healthier and safer option.

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