Hence, awareness of these lifestyle habits that impact fertility is essential for maintaining good reproductive health. Obesity affects reproductive capacity in both males and females. Obesity has an emotional and psychological effect on the persons suffering from it, affecting their chances of reproduction. Being significantly, underweight or overweight can inhibit normal ovulation and can contribute to menstrual irregularities.
An obese woman can take longer to achieve pregnancy than a woman of normal weight and obesity increases the chances of miscarriages. Obese women are also more likely to suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome PCOS , which also affects fertility.
It is important for women to measured by a body mass index BMI calculator and maintain a weight that is considered medically healthy. In Men: Obese males suffer from decreased testosterone levels and are at greater risk of impaired sperm production and reduced sperm quality. Obesity also decreases sex drive in men. Reasons ranging wide from stress to peer pressure, smoking is a habit that once taken up, is hard to let go.
In Men: Cigarette smoke contains different components, the most significant of which is nicotine, which is converted into a substance in the body that affects the movement of sperms in men. Cigarette also contains heavy metals like cadmium and lead, which affect sperm density. Cigarette smoke also damages the DNA of sperms, while chewing tobacco affects the structure of sperms.
It is proven that smoking cigarette decreases sperm production. Thus, a woman will struggle to become pregnant if she does not have healthy eggs. Smoking is associated with miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy by damaging fallopian tubes damages its ability to move the fertilized egg towards the uterus or by causing blockages in fallopian tubes, as a result of which the meeting of egg and sperm is prevented.
None of us can avoid stress, we need to acknowledge and manage your stress. However, for some couples, trying to get pregnant can cause extra worry or anxiety, especially if one or both of them have concerns about infertility. Too much stress or depression leads to hormonal imbalances that can eventually cause fertility problems.
Sustained stress may interfere with the hormones needed for sperm production. Sometimes infertility itself can lead to stress so it is important for couples to find a healthy way to release stress during the time they are trying to conceive.
If you feel like stress is affecting your relationship or your health, then consider consulting with a counselor or psychologist who can help you with coping strategies. You may also enjoy trying stress-relieving activities, such as yoga, meditation or massage. Meditation, yoga, and exercise help in a great way to relieve day-to-day stress and anxiety. In addition to affecting their chances of conceiving, older women also are more likely to give birth to children who have genetic or other inborn effects.
In some cases, the cause of infertility is never found. A combination of several minor factors in both partners could cause unexplained fertility problems. Although it's frustrating to get no specific answer, this problem can correct itself with time. But you shouldn't delay treatment for infertility. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Infertility is defined as trying to get pregnant with frequent, unprotected sex for at least a year with no success. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.
Female reproductive system Open pop-up dialog box Close. Female reproductive system The ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina vaginal canal make up the female reproductive system.
Fertilization and implantation Open pop-up dialog box Close. Fertilization and implantation During fertilization, the sperm and egg unite in one of the fallopian tubes to form a zygote. More Information Fallopian tubes: Is pregnancy possible with only one? Hypothyroidism and infertility: Any connection? Share on: Facebook Twitter. Passing very dark, old blood at the beginning of a period can also be a sign of endometriosis. If a person is experiencing other symptoms, they may wish to speak to a doctor.
The length of a menstrual cycle varies between individuals and over time. However, many people have a regular cycle, meaning that the time between each period is roughly the same. Having an irregular cycle, including missing periods, can contribute to infertility, as it means a woman may not be regularly ovulating. Ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg.
Irregular ovulation can be due to many issues, including polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , obesity , being underweight, and thyroid issues. Signs of hormonal changes can be nonspecific, and a person may not notice them or know the underlying cause. A doctor can test for some hormonal issues. A study found that obesity might negatively affect reproductive health.
Women with obesity have a lower probability of conceiving and are at a higher risk for issues during pregnancy than those without weight issues. The primary sign of infertility is not getting pregnant after trying for a certain length of time. If the woman is over the age of 35 years old, she may be infertile if she has not become pregnant after 6 months of trying.
Testosterone is a key hormone for male fertility, so problems with the testes that produce this hormone may lead to infertility. Two hormones signal to the testes to make sperm and testosterone: luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. Finding the cause of infertility can be a long and emotional process. It may take time to complete all the needed tests. So don't worry if the problem is not found right away. Infertility can be treated with medicine , surgery, artificial insemination , or assisted reproductive technology.
Many times these treatments are combined. In most cases infertility is treated with drugs or surgery. A number of fertility medicines are used to treat women with ovulation problems. It is important to talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of these medicines. You should understand the possible dangers, benefits, and side effects. Many fertility drugs increase a woman's chance of having twins, triplets, or other multiples. Women who are pregnant with multiple fetuses have more problems during pregnancy.
Multiple fetuses have a high risk of being born too early prematurely. Premature babies are at a higher risk of health and developmental problems. Intrauterine insemination IUI is an infertility treatment that is often called artificial insemination. In this procedure, the woman is injected with specially prepared sperm. Sometimes the woman is also treated with medicines that stimulate ovulation before IUI.
Assisted reproductive technology ART is a group of different methods used to help infertile couples. ART works by removing eggs from a woman's body. The eggs are then mixed with sperm to make embryos. The embryos are then put back in the woman's body. Success rates vary and depend on many factors. Some things that affect the success rate of ART include:.
The U. ART can be expensive and time-consuming. But it has allowed many couples to have children that otherwise would not have been conceived. The most common complication of ART is multiple fetuses. But this is a problem that can be prevented or minimized in several different ways. ART procedures sometimes involve the use of donor eggs eggs from another woman , donor sperm, or previously frozen embryos. Donor eggs are sometimes used for women who can not produce eggs.
Also, donor eggs or donor sperm is sometimes used when the woman or man has a genetic disease that can be passed on to the baby.
An infertile woman or couple may also use donor embryos. These are embryos that were either created by couples in infertility treatment or were created from donor sperm and donor eggs. The donated embryo is transferred to the uterus.
The child will not be genetically related to either parent. Women with no eggs or unhealthy eggs might also want to consider surrogacy. A surrogate is a woman who agrees to become pregnant using the man's sperm and her own egg. The child will be genetically related to the surrogate and the male partner. After birth, the surrogate will give up the baby for adoption by the parents. Women with ovaries but no uterus may be able to use a gestational carrier.
This may also be an option for women who shouldn't become pregnant because of a serious health problem. In this case, a woman uses her own egg.
It is fertilized by the man's sperm and the embryo is placed inside the carrier's uterus. The carrier will not be related to the baby and gives him or her to the parents at birth. Recent research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that ART babies are two to four times more likely to have certain kinds of birth defects.
These may include heart and digestive system problems, and cleft divided into two pieces lips or palate. Researchers don't know why this happens. The birth defects may not be due to the technology. Other factors, like the age of the parents, may be involved. More research is needed.
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