Many women across the globe suffer from the inability to conceive due to various reasons and conditions. For a woman, being infertile is the worst nightmare, and the saddest thing is that it can sometimes develop an inability to get pregnant after trying for a number of years. The condition of being an infertile woman can be extremely depressing and one must actively seek help if they wish to conceive regardless of their age, one way to treat infertility is through medicines. In this article, we will discuss some of the potential causes that lead to a woman being unable to get pregnant.
1. Disorders relating to Ovulation
Ovulation is an important biological function within the female reproductive system. It is the process during which a mature egg is being released from the ovaries. After the fertilization eggs can develop into an embryo. In other words, Ovulation is the deciding factor for a woman being infertile or not. A woman will be considered infertile if she is sick or has any sort of infertility disorder which prevents her from going through the process of Ovulation.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): Women with PCOS as a result of a hormonal imbalance so they are unable to produce eggs regularly. Their most prevalent sign is irregular menstruation, which moreover prevents them from getting pregnant.
Hypothalamic Dysfunction: A disorder during which inadequate Gonadotropin-releasing hormone is secreted which leads to insufficiency in the ovulation process. This can further be caused due to a number of factors including, chronic depression, excessive workouts, or low weight.
Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: As the name suggests, a disorder when wearing houses ovaries which do not function properly in this case before the age of 40 or at 40, ultimately leading to them being barren.
2. Damage or Blockage of Fallopian Tubes
The transportation of the ovum from the ovaries to the uterus which is carried out by the fallopian tubes is central to the process of fertilization. The presence of a blockage or damage in the fallopian tubes is one of the reasons that can be the cause for the sperm not being able to meet with the ovum, hence, leading to infertility in the individual.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): The PID is caused by various sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia or Gonorrhea and serves as a prime reason for the damage done to the fallopian tubes.
Endometriosis: It is a medical state in which the internal tissues that are similar to that of lining of the uterus grow outside of the uterus itself, i.e. on the fallopian tubes and ovaries, hence causing blockages.
Surgery History: Any prior surgical procedure in the pelvis or stomach can cause scar tissue or adhesions which inhibit the normal functioning of the fallopian tubes.
3. Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disorder that is characterized by the growth of tissues outside the uterus which serves the purpose of an egg sac. These tissues cause more harm than good as they lead to inflammation, the formation of scars, and the presence of adhesions in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and other organs involved with the reproductive system. The prevalence of endometriosis in a female person is one of the common reasons which is the cause of her not being able to conceive a child since the woman’s ovary or the embryo that is implanted inside her uterus will be affected.
4. Age-Related Factors
Women naturally see a decrease in their fertility with aging, specifically post their thirty-fifth birthday. This is a natural cause, since as time goes on the number and quality of eggs within a woman decrease, Which makes it harder to get pregnant. Given this circumstance, older women tend to have higher rates of miscarriage, Furthermore, they also have a higher chance of conceiving a child with a chromosomal abnormality like down syndrome.
Decreased Egg Reserve: Women are born with all the eggs they will have in their lifetime, however, the number and the quality of the eggs a woman has will continue to decrease through the years.
Decreased Hormonal Function: Also, with age, the hormonal control of ovulation could become affected as well, raising the chances of a woman finding it harder to conceive.
5. Uterine and Cervical Issues
A few uterine and cervical issues are present that may cause infertility because they obstruct the fertilized egg from lodging itself in or growing correctly.
Uterine Fibroids: Abnormal tissue growth inside the uterus may inhibit a baby’s development and raise the likelihood of a miscarriage.
Abnormal Cervical Mucus: During the ovulation cycle, the cervix produces mucus which is used by sperm to swim to an egg, however, when the consistency changes due to anything, like cervical mucus absence or too thick mucus, it will prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
Congenital Uterine Abnormalities: A developmental disorder of the uterus, such as a septate sigmoid uterus or a bicornis maniform defloration uterus where it may be indicated that a woman was born with it which may prevent the zygote from attaching.
6. Problems With The Thyroid
The thyroid is important in the endocrine system, they elaborate hormones that have an impact on the reproductive health of women. There can be a situation where a thyroid is underactive – hypothyroid which is a condition that leads to unorthodox menstrual cycles, and issues around ovulation, and conceiving. Such cases, most times, are heard of women with hyperthyroid or hypothyroid conditions but once taken care of via medication, they do restore fertility.
Factors Related to Lifestyle
Lifestyle factors can also prove to be detrimental for a woman’s chance to get pregnant or through birth, Multiple such factors should not be overlooked
- Being obese or overweight: If a woman has excessive fat on her body then it is more than likely that she will suffer ovulatory and other fertility disorders as the hormone production in her body would be disturbed.
- Drug or Alcohol abuse: A woman who is addicted to alcohol and drugs is more likely to struggle with the conception as the drug and alcohol abuse causes hormonal imbalance and affects the production of high quality eggs.
- Smoking: Smoke from cigarettes can predispose a woman to fertility complications as they affect the fallopian tubes and inhibit the formation of quality eggs in the body.
- Stress: For better ovulation, hormones in a woman’s body require a certain balance and if a woman undergoes chronic stress, then that balance is disrupted leading to potential fertility issues.
Infertility With No Underlying Cause
Infertility is a very sensitive issue especially for couples and while there are couples that manage to spend time together doing a lot of research and exploring articles, in some case an exact cause might never be diagnosed leading this to be unexplained infertility, In such cases, a woman might think of using the help of reproductive technologies, like IVF.
Conclusion
A woman’s lack of fertility might be caused by many reasons including hormonal imbalance, some form of structural damage, choice of lifestyle, and simply age. The importance of knowing the factors stems from the fact that this is the first step towards tackling the problem and considering the ways of treating the problem.
For those diagnosed with infertility, consultation with a qualified specialist is a must for diagnosis and proposal of appropriate interventions. A good doctor must be able to make changes in daily living, use medication and possibly therapy to help resolve the infertility issues for the countless women who are hoping to be mothers.