Infertility is a stressful category for people who decide to have children. Many people think that there is no cure for infertility, but this is not true, and many people’s infertility is treatable. More than 48 million couples in the world are infertile, so the problem of infertility is widespread all over the world. Stay with us in this article to learn more about the symptoms of infertility in men and women.
What factors cause infertility?
Various factors cause infertility. Some of these factors affect one of the couples, and some others involve both parties. Some of the most common causes of male and female infertility are:
- Age;
- eating disorders, including anorexia or bulimia nervosa ;
- excessive consumption of alcohol;
- exposure to toxic substances such as lead and pesticides;
- excessive exercise ;
- radiotherapy or chemotherapy ;
- sexually transmitted diseases ;
- smoking or using any tobacco;
- drug use;
- Underweight or overweight;
- the presence of any abnormality in the producing glands, such as pituitary and hypothalamus hormones ;
- Chronic Diseases;
- stress _
Symptoms of infertility in women
1. Feeling pain during sex
Painful intercourse or dyspareunia may be a sign of an underlying disease that affects women’s fertility. Endometriosis and uterine fibroids are among these diseases.
2. Long or painful menstruation
Women who have very painful and prolonged menstrual cycles may have endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition in which the surface tissue of the uterus is formed in the rest of the body.
3. Light or dark menstrual blood
If the menstrual blood is darker than the previous times, it may be a sign of illness. Also, if the color of the blood is very dark at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, there is a possibility of endometriosis. Usually, menstrual blood is bright red at the beginning of the process and gradually becomes darker.
4. Irregular menstrual cycle
The duration of the menstrual cycle is different for each person and changes over time. However, suppose the interval between menstrual cycles is not the same, or you do not get a period every month. In that case, it means that your ovulation is irregular, and there is a possibility of infertility. Irregular ovulation may be caused by polycystic syndrome, underweight and overweight, or thyroid problems.
5. Hormonal changes
The symptoms of hormonal changes are usually undetectable, and for hormonal problems, a doctor should be consulted. The following typically occur due to hormonal fluctuations:
- overweight for no reason;
- high boils;
- cold hands and feet ;
- decrease or loss of sexual desire ;
- breast secretions ;
- excess facial hair;
- Thinning of the hair on top of the head.
6. Background problems
Some of the complications that affect women’s fertility include:
- damage to the fallopian tube or ovaries;
- premature menopause ;
- polycystic syndrome (PCOS);
- endometriosis;
- Cancer and cancer treatments.
7. Severe overweight
According to research, excessive obesity affects the ability of human reproduction. Overweight women have a lower chance of getting pregnant. These people are exposed to problems more than other women if they get pregnant.
Symptoms of infertility in men
1. Hormonal disorders
Testosterone is one of the most essential hormones for male fertility. Any dysfunction of the pituitary gland, which produces this hormone, may cause male infertility.
2. erectile dysfunction
Hormonal changes and psychological or physical problems may lead to erectile dysfunction. If erectile dysfunction is permanent, it may be a sign of illness.
3. Ejaculation disorder
Difficult ejaculation or any change in men’s ejaculation may be a sign of infertility in men. For example, a decrease in sperm count is one of the changes that you should consider as a warning.
4. Any changes in the testicles
Healthy testicles play an essential role in male fertility. It is necessary to take any changes in them seriously. For example, small and hard testicles may be symptoms of hormonal problems, and painful, swollen, or soft testicles indicate a hidden disease, such as an infection, and may cause infertility.
5. Severe overweight
Researchers have proven that obesity is also related to male infertility. Excessive weight affects the quality of sperm and sexual dysfunction and, consequently, male fertility.
When should I go to the doctor to diagnose infertility?
If you are under 35 years old and have been trying to get pregnant for about a year, you should see a doctor. Women who are 35 or older should see a doctor after six months of trying to conceive. To diagnose the problem, blood, urine, imaging, and sperm tests are usually performed. We suggest that you write down the following items and present them to the doctor before going to the doctor:
- Medicines you take, even vitamins and nutritional supplements;
- How often do you have sex without condoms?
- the date of the last time you had unprotected sex and how long you have been trying to conceive;
- Physical changes or symptoms you notice;
- The history of any treatment and surgery in the past (especially those related to the genital system);
- Radiotherapy or chemotherapy sessions;
- the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and any drugs;
- history of sexually transmitted diseases (STD);
- Any genetic problems and diseases such as diabetes and thyroid that you or your family suffer from.
Methods of Treating Female Infertility
- Lifestyle modification: Gaining or losing weight, quitting smoking or drugs, and improving health increases the chance of getting pregnant.
- Drug treatment: Fertility drugs stimulate the ovaries to ovulate and increase the chance of pregnancy.
- Surgery: It is possible to open blocked uterine tubes and remove polyps, extra meat, and uterine fibroids with surgery.
Male infertility treatment methods
- Drug treatment: Some drugs increase testosterone or other hormones. There are also drugs for erectile dysfunction that help the user maintain an erection during intercourse.
- Surgery: Some men need surgery to unblock the tubes carrying sperm. Varicocele surgery also improves the health of sperm and increases the possibility of fertility.
Infertility treatment with assisted reproductive technology
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) refers to any treatment that causes sperm or egg to change. If the previous solutions do not have the desired result, the following assisted reproductive methods are usually used:
- Artificial insemination ( IVF ): In this method, eggs are fertilized with sperm in a laboratory environment. Then, the specialist transfers 1 to 3 eggs to the uterus.
- Microinjection ( ICSI ): This process may be done during artificial insemination. The specialist injects the sperm directly into the egg. Then, the fertilized egg is transferred to the uterus.
- Intrauterine Insemination ( IUI ): The specialist uses a thin and long tube to transfer sperm directly to the uterus.
- Assisted hatching: hatching is a laboratory process in which the outer layer of the embryo (the initial stage of embryo formation) is opened to be more easily implanted in the uterine wall.
- Third-party assisted reproduction ( Third-party ART ): Some couples can use donated eggs, sperm, or embryos. Some will need surrogacy.
Tips to prevent infertility
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet and keep your weight in a healthy range.
- Do not smoke, do not use drugs, and do not drink alcohol.
- Treat sexually transmitted diseases.
- Be less exposed to environmental toxins.
- Be physically active, but don’t overdo it.
- Do not postpone pregnancy until old age.
- Look for ways of assisted reproduction, including egg and sperm freezing.
you say
Today, with the various methods that exist, the probability of getting pregnant is very high for people who have infertility. However, it is better to prevent such a stressful problem with a healthy lifestyle. Always listen to your body and see a doctor if you notice any changes in your body. In this article, you learned about the symptoms of infertility in men and women. Have you noticed the mentioned symptoms in yourself? What have you done to fix the problem?
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes, and to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
