When a couple cannot conceive after at least a year of regular, unprotected intercourse, the condition is called infertility. A combination of reproductive organ problems with you or your spouse that inhibit conception may cause infertility. Millions of people are impacted by infertility, and it is estimated that infertility affects one in six individuals of reproductive age globally at some point in their lives! In the case of female infertility, a variety of disorders affecting the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, and endocrine system can result in infertility.  However, there are several safe and efficient ways to increase your chances of becoming pregnant, so let’s take an in-depth look into infertility.

What is Female Infertility?

A condition known as infertility prevents a woman from becoming pregnant, and in such cases, an infertility diagnosis is given after at least twelve months of attempting to conceive. However, if a woman has uterine factor infertility or another medical problem, they may be diagnosed sooner. Age, hormonal imbalances, illnesses, and environmental or lifestyle factors can all contribute to infertility in women!

Signs of Female Infertility 

These are the most common female infertility signs that women experience: 

• Abnormal periods - Bleeding is either milder or heavier than normal.

• No menstruation - Either your periods abruptly end or you have never had one.

• Irregular periods - Every month, the number of days that separate each phase changes.

• Painful periods - There may be cramps, pelvic discomfort, and back pain.

Infertility in women can occasionally be linked to a hormonal issue, and symptoms in this situation may also include changes in the skin, increased acne, changes in sexual desire and libido, growth of dark hair on the chin and chest, hair loss, gaining weight, etc. Other signs that may lead to infertility sometimes include milky white discharge from nipples and painful sex. Remember, the symptoms of infertility in women vary from person to person and can be caused by many factors.

What are the Causes of Female Infertility? 

The following are the most common female infertility cause:

• Ovulation problems 

Many hormones cooperate to produce the menstrual cycle, and for ovulation to take place; The hypothalamus, a region of the brain, stimulates the pituitary gland in the vicinity to release hormones that cause the ovaries to release eggs. Period irregularities or absence suggest that ovulation may be erratic or nonexistent in the person.

One important element affecting fertility is the woman's age, a woman over forty has a mere five percent chance of becoming pregnant per menstrual cycle. The reason is believed to be ageing eggs because all of a woman's eggs are present at birth, and throughout time, these eggs lose some of their viability. Genetic disorders in the fetus and an elevated chance of miscarriage are additional challenges for women over 35 years of age.

• Fallopian tube damage

These problems are frequently brought on by salpingitis, fallopian tube enlargement, and pelvic inflammatory illness, which is an infection of the female reproductive organs this can compromise tubal fallopian or tubal Panasonic.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome 

The most prevalent hormonal disorder affecting women in their reproductive years is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, which affects around one in seven women. PCOS can lead to a variety of symptoms, such as irregular menstruation and difficulty becoming pregnant, however, PCOS is not an ovarian illness, but rather the result of a hormonal imbalance.

• Uterus Conditions 

These include uterine polyps, problems with the uterus's form, abnormalities with the cervix (the lower end of the uterus), and uterine fibroids, which are tumors in the uterine wall and can also result in infertility. The fallopian tubes, where a sperm and an egg join, can become blocked by fibroids, additionally, they have the ability to prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.

• Problems with the cervix 

The cervix, the entrance to the uterus, is located at the top of the vagina, and for ejaculated sperm to reach the uterus and fallopian tubes, they must pass through the cervix. During ovulation, cervical mucus is often thin and watery to allow sperm to pass through, however, some women have thick cervical mucus, which might make sperm less effective in fertilizing the egg.

• Endometriosis 

Cells from the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, move to various areas of the pelvis when you have endometriosis, and it can impair the mobility of the egg and sperm and harm the ovaries and fallopian tubes as well. Endometriosis can impact fertilization, embryo development, and implantation, even when the ovaries and fallopian tubes are functioning properly! 

• Primary ovarian insufficiency

This occurs when menstruation stops before the age of forty and the ovaries stop functioning normally! Frequently, the reason is unknown, however, immune system disorders, genetic disorders such as Turner syndrome, and radiation or chemotherapy treatments are some of the causes associated with primary ovarian insufficiency.

Tests to Diagnose Female Infertility

For female infertility diagnosis, your doctor would prescribe several blood tests to start with. Check out this chart of female test for infertility:

• Blood examinations - Your medical history and the ailment your physician is checking for will determine the type of blood test used, however, thyroid function tests, hormone levels related to menstruation and ovulation, and ovarian reserve (egg supply) testing are most often performed. When you have fewer eggs remaining in your ovaries than the average for people your age, you have diminished ovarian reserve. 

• Transvaginal ultrasound - In a transvaginal ultrasound, your healthcare professional inserts a probe into your vagina, as opposed to an abdominal ultrasound, which places the probe on your belly.

• X-ray hysterosalpingogram (HSG) - Using an X-ray, your healthcare professional observes how a contrast dye passes through your fallopian tube after injecting it via your cervix and into your uterus to look for obstructions.

• Saline infusion sonogram (SIS) - SIS examines the lining of your uterus to check for structural abnormalities such as fibroids or polyps. During a transvaginal ultrasound, your healthcare professional fills your uterus with saline to improve their view of your uterine cavity, and the fallopian tubes too can occasionally be checked using SIS. 

• Hysteroscopy - During this examination, your healthcare practitioner will insert a hysteroscope, a narrow instrument with a camera, through your cervix, which makes it easier for your doctor to view inside your uterus.

• Laparoscopy - During this exam, your healthcare professional looks at your reproductive organs by inserting a tiny monitoring device called a laparoscope into your stomach.

Female Infertility Treatment Options

1. Surgery 

Obstacles within the reproductive organs may be the cause of infertility in females, but surgery can treat several issues, such as fibroids, polyps, endometriosis, and ovarian cysts. 

Fibroids	Benign tumors that grow inside the uterus
Polyps	Tiny protrusions that grow out of the lining of the uterus
Endometriosis	The growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus that can block the fallopian tubes
Ovarian cysts	These can be removed or drained

Nowadays, keyhole surgery employing a laparoscope (through the belly) or a hysteroscope (through the cervix and into the uterus) is used for the majority of these surgeries. Sometimes, for many reasons, this might not be feasible, and open surgery, a surgical incision made in the abdomen, may be required for that patient.

• Ovulation Induction 

Period irregularities or absences often indicate irregular or missing ovulation, however, a variety of drugs, either in tablet or injectable form, can trigger ovulation. Oral medications like clomiphene citrate can cause the brain to produce more hormones that promote ovulation, and ovulation can also be stimulated by injectable versions of the hormones that cause the ovaries to develop and release an egg.  

• Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) 

Procedures that include removing eggs from the ovaries and performing the fertilization process of the eggs and sperm in a lab setting are referred to as assisted reproductive technologies (ART), which includes in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Through hormone stimulation, ART causes the ovaries to generate many eggs instead of the one that develops each month, and the eggs are then extracted using an ultrasound-guided process.  

Final Remarks

Dealing with infertility can be devastating for couples who want children, however, now, with the use of modern medical technology, it is possible for many couples to have a baby after struggling with infertility for years! Through female infertility management, doctors can treat the cause of infertility, and after the compilation of a successful treatment, the woman can give birth to a healthy child. If you are dealing with these issues, consulting with an experienced gynecologist is your first step toward becoming a parent!

To receive the best fertility care in India, contact Medanta right now!