Signs of Infertility You Can’t Ignore
Posted on 04. Dec, 2009 by Vanessa Milan in Women's Health
Both women and men have deteriorating fertility as they get older, but one of the signs of infertility is not getting pregnant after a full year of a couple trying.
Some of the reasons for the reduced fertility in women as they age are a diminished ability for their ovaries to release eggs and the lower health level of those eggs. In addition, aging women become more likely with each passing year to have health issues that interfere with their fertility. There’s also a higher risk for miscarriage.
A woman’s highest fertility is in her 20′s, with her 30′s being a time when she is still relatively fertile. She will start having difficulty conceiving as she gets into her mid to upper 30′s. Miscarriage risks start to come into play in her late 30′s. Fertility decreases appreciably in smokers and drinkers. With more women choosing careers today that put off child-rearing, aging has become the primary reason for infertility.
Failure to conceive for a whole calendar year (after trying the whole year) means a woman is in the “primary infertility” category; “secondary infertility” is when she has already been pregnant at some point, but has not been able to conceive for the previous 12 months of trying.
Infertility issues plague both men and women equally, according to some experts, while others say women comprise sixty percent. Statistics show that ten percent of actively trying couples have trouble conceiving, with four of five conceiving within a year. A “normal” amount of time to conceive is considered to be up to two years.
In order to assess their fertility, many partners must both have complete medical exams done. Many of the males in relationships have the problem with fertility, therefore it’s important that both partners get a complete physical.
As a baseline for later comparison, one of the first tests done will be a woman’s LH – or Luteinizing Hormone and her FSH – or Follicle Stimulating Hormone. Normally, these tests are done on a woman’s first visit and her third visit to the specialist. The tests for these two hormones – LH and FSH – can also be performed on the male as well, if deemed appropriate by the fertility specialist. These hormones are both critical for the development of sperm cells.
There are many other fertility tests available to the fertility specialist. Some of these – for the female – are the cervical mucus test, hormone tests (other than LH or FSH), and ultrasound tests. The cervical mucus test is done less often now, but sometimes it’s done because the male does not want to be tested. For this test, two to eight hours after intercourse, the doctor will test the vaginal mucus for the presence and health of sperm.
Ultrasounds are a good way to for the fertility specialist to examine the condition of the uterus, ovaries, and cervix without complicated and invasive examination techniques. Ultrasound can also be utilized to determine if ovulation has occurred.
The reproductive endocrinologist has many other hormone tests that he or she has available to them. The main ones are tests for prolactin, free T3, free testosterone, total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, DHEAS, and androstenedione.
Treatments for infertility can be expensive and not covered by insurance, and it depends on what needs to be treated, and how far a couple is willing to go with treatment. A relatively common cause of infertility in women is PCOS or (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), which is treated with a drug called metformin in combination with clomiphene.
Another drug treatment for infertility (for the female again) is clomiphene for ovulation problems – inability to ovulate. Hormone shots are the next thing that a woman can try, although these can have unpleasant side effects such as bloating and feeling sick. But one of the most significant side effects of hormone therapy is having triplets or more babies.
One of the most expensive and emotionally taxing (as well as physically taxing) fertility treatments is in vitro fertilization (IVF). Regular blood tests, daily hormone injections and frequent monitoring by the doctor is what this treatment requires of you. Nevertheless, it works one out of three times, but out of this 33.33%, one-third of these (33.33% also) will have twins. It should be noted that acupuncture by trained personnel is shown to raise the success rate of IVF.
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