Reasons for Infertility
Becoming a parent and sharing your life with a child is one of the greatest joys anyone can experience. Unfortunately, it is difficult for some couples to become pregnant. Infertility is defined as the inability to biologically conceive despite a year of regular intercourse, or the inability to carry a pregnancy to full term. This article discusses some of the most common reasons for infertility.
While infertility has many causes, more than half of all infertility cases are the result of female conditions. The remaining infertility cases are either caused by male sperm disorders or are unexplained. A woman must menstruate properly in order for her to become pregnant. Ovulation problems are one of the most common reasons for infertility. Female infertility can also be caused by uterine disorders, tubal blockage and a previous tubal ligation.
The age of a woman plays a major role in her fertility. A woman's ability to conceive naturally decreases over time and is part of the normal aging process. Women lose approximately 1,000 eggs every month. Also, conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis and some sexually transmitted diseases can worsen over time, eventually causing infertility in some cases.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is another of the common reasons for infertility in women. PID arises when cervical or vaginal infections such as gonorrhea or chlamydia go untreated, and it is an extremely serious pelvic inflammation. When bacteria travel up through a woman's uterus and into her fallopian tubes, ovaries and surrounding tissues, scars that can block her fallopian tubes can be formed. When PID is treated successfully, however, in vitro fertilization can often result in a pregnancy.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the foremost reasons for infertility in women. PCOS is a hormone disorder which disrupts a woman's normal ovulation cycle. Ovulating on an irregular basis or a complete inability to ovulate causes infertility in women with PCOS. Click here for more information on PCOS and infertility.
Hormone levels should be tested whenever a couple has difficulty conceiving. Glands such as the pancreas, hypothalamus, ovaries, pituitary and the testes all produce hormones, and a disease that affects any of these glands can also lead to infertility.
Although infertility can be caused by several medical conditions, a couple having difficulty conceiving should also look at their lifestyle to see if it might be one of the reasons for infertility. Several lifestyle factors can cause infertility, including smoking, weight issues, consuming too much alcohol or illegal substances, sexually transmitted diseases, and even excessive stress or exercise.
It can be very stressful when a couple tries to conceive and a pregnancy does not occur quickly. When doctors cannot diagnose any specific reasons for infertility in either the man or the woman, the couple's difficulty in conceiving is called unexplained infertility. In many of these cases the couple can make their dreams of a family become a reality by easing the pressure on themselves and gaining a better understanding of when the woman is ovulating. The most important thing they can do is to eliminate their stress.
Even if you have been diagnosed with any of the reasons for infertility discussed here, you still have a good chance of conceiving and carrying a child to full term. A natural infertility treatment program called Pregnancy Miracle has allowed thousands of women to overcome infertility problems and conceive naturally, regardless of their reasons for infertility or their age.