In this article, we look at the signs and symptoms of infertility in women. All people at some point begin to think about children. True, a woman's path from the decision to become a mother to the realization of this desire in life can be long and difficult. Today, approximately 15% of couples have difficulty conceiving, and every year tens of thousands of women hear the frightening diagnosis of "infertility" from their doctor.
But it is important to note right away that infertility is not a death sentence. In most situations, it is quite successfully treated. And thanks to modern reproductive technologies, it is possible to deceive even nature and, against all odds, achieve conception, and besides, safe gestation.
Symptoms of infertility will be discussed below.
Signs
In women, as a rule, they begin to suspect infertility if, within one year, against the background of regular sexual activity without the use of contraceptivesso you can't get pregnant. For women who are over thirty-five, this period is reduced to six months.
As such, there are no obvious symptoms of female infertility, except for the very fact of the impossibility of conceiving a child, however, there are some factors that increase the risk, including the following:
- Too high or too low body weight.
- Having a history of severe inflammatory and infectious diseases of the reproductive system of the body.
- Irregular periods.
- The development of amenorrhea - the complete absence of menstruation.
It should also be borne in mind that the most common reason for the inability to conceive a child can be not only female, but also male infertility. Let's look at the symptoms below. In addition, both partners can have problems at once, so if infertility is suspected, a man and a woman should both undergo an extensive examination. In our article, we will focus on the symptoms of infertility in women, find out its causes, learn about diagnostic methods and treatment methods.
Reasons
The causes of infertility in women are very diverse. Most often, inflammatory pathological processes in the pelvic organs are to blame for the impossibility of conceiving and bearing a child, and not only those that are in a state of exacerbation, but also chronic forms as well. In addition, infertility can be affected by inflammatory diseases that were transferred many years ago. Often, inflammation of the organs of the reproductive system can lead to the appearance of adhesions, whichform in the fallopian tubes, resulting in obstruction.
Causes of infertility symptoms in women can include congenital or acquired diseases along with uterine deformity, often resulting from multiple abortions along with endometriosis, intrauterine septa, adhesions and fibroids.
Infertility can also be genetic in nature, within which conception itself is possible, but there is a very high risk of miscarriage. Genetic factors include various disorders in the chromosomal composition. Much less often, infertility is caused by psycho-emotional reasons, however, this is also possible. For example, certain mental disorders, along with depression and constant severe stress, can significantly reduce female fertility.
Signs and symptoms of infertility in men are discussed below. An advanced form of endometriosis is diagnosed in almost thirty percent of women who go to doctors about the impossibility of conceiving a child. In about thirty-five percent of cases, female infertility can be caused by problems associated with maturation, and, in addition, the release of the egg, which occurs as a result of hormonal imbalance.
In 45% of patients with infertility, inflammatory processes are observed, which are localized in the pelvic organs. Such processes entail the pathology of the fallopian tubes. Often the cause of the pathology may not be one, there may be several at once. Nowlet's talk about the symptoms of infertility.
How female infertility manifests
Symptoms commonly seen in infertility are:
- Irregular menstruation cycle.
- Having painful and heavy periods.
- Presence of pain or discomfort in the pelvic area.
- Excessive vaginal discharge that has an unusual color and smell, which is most likely a sign of an inflammatory process. This is a common symptom of infertility in girls.
- Cases of a similar pathology in the family of close relatives.
- The presence of thyroid disorders. In this regard, women must be observed in parallel by an endocrinologist.
- Obesity of the body or, conversely, excessive thinness.
- Development of hirsutism - increased hair growth in unwanted places.
- Having a male body type.
- Development of severe acne.
- Development of chronic pathologies.
- Defects that are not related to the sexual sphere, for example, diseases of the kidneys, heart, lungs, blood, and so on.
Women should be especially attentive to their bodies. The sooner the doctor can detect the pathology, the sooner it can be cured and thus prevent the development of infertility symptoms. It is important to note that both spouses should undergo a diagnostic examination, due to the fact that most cases of childless marriages are caused precisely by male infertility.
Also, a combination of this problem is often found in both the husband and the wife at the same time. Carrying out early diagnosis will allow determining further medical tactics, which, most likely, will be effective due to the timely treatment of the patient. So, what are the methods of diagnosing such a serious problem as infertility today? The symptoms and causes of infertility are often linked.
Diagnosis
To diagnose infertility, in addition to taking an anamnesis and undergoing a visual examination by a gynecologist, a number of different tests will be required, and, in addition, studies:
- Testing for sexually transmitted infections. Both partners should take such tests at once.
- Hormon blood test. These studies provide an opportunity to confirm the endocrine nature of infertility. Biomaterial for the study of various hormones is taken at certain phases of the cycle. For example, an analysis for LH and FSH is taken on the fifth day of the cycle, and for progesterone - on the eighteenth.
- Passing radiography and ultrasound of the pelvic organs. Conducting a contrast radiography gives doctors the opportunity to determine whether infertility is caused by the presence of deformation or any pathology of the uterus, tubes and ovaries. In addition, it allows you to determine if there are adhesions or any neoplasms. Ultrasound is also widely used to clarify information about the condition of the fallopian tubes.
- Carrying out histology. A study on a sample of tissues of the uterine mucosa providesinformation about the cellular structure of the endometrium.
- Hysteroscopy is a visual examination technique in which a miniature video camera is inserted into the uterus, allowing you to see polyps along with neoplasms and changes in the structure of the mucosa, and, in addition, take a tissue sample. The information content of this method is quite high, and its accuracy is almost one hundred percent.
Treatment methods
Complete diagnosis of infertility usually takes no more than three months. After that, the doctor finally makes a diagnosis, choosing treatment tactics. In most cases, such a diagnosis as infertility is curable. Directly, the methods of treating female infertility depend directly on its causes.
Performing medication
As part of this approach, hormonal preparations are used that even out the hormonal background of a woman and make maturation possible, and, in addition, the release of an egg. Thanks to this, the subsequent implantation of the ovum is also possible.
Drug treatment can give a good effect if the impossibility of conception has formed due to endocrine disorders. In any case, its effectiveness will depend on the age of the woman, the duration of infertility, and also on the viability of the ovaries.
Surgical treatment
This treatment option will be indicated if the main cause of infertility is the pathology of the uterus or its tubes. Through laparoscopy, which isminimally invasive surgery, you can try to restore the patency of the pipes, if you remove adhesions and perform coagulation. When the problem is endometriosis, small neoplasms with fibroids are removed through surgical treatment. Such operations are quite simple and do not require a long rehabilitation period from patients.
True, with the resumption of attempts at conception will have to wait, because in order to consolidate the effect after surgical treatment, a course of drug therapy is carried out. It is important to note that surgery does not always help with uterine pathologies. Sometimes, if there are too serious anatomical defects, the only way out is surrogate motherhood. The effectiveness of the surgical treatment option largely depends on the type of pathology. In some cases, the effectiveness of this method of combating infertility reaches ninety percent, but on average it is only thirty.
Psychological help
According to statistics, about thirty percent of infertility cases are due to causes that are psychological in nature. For example, psychological factors that affect the ability to conceive include the following fears and concerns:
- A woman's fear of responsibility, and, in addition, of the inevitable changes in life.
- Many are afraid of childbirth.
- The presence of insecurity in yourself or your partner.
- Personal life dramas with work stresses.
- Those or other psychological overloads that can affectreproductive he alth.
- The banal unpreparedness of a woman for this step, when she herself is not yet ready to give birth, and the family or partner nevertheless puts pressure on her.
The causes of infertility symptoms in girls are of interest to many. It often happens that the root of the problem, paradoxically, lies in the obsession of a woman with the need for motherhood. At the same time, on this desire there is a concentration of all spiritual forces and a complete rejection of other interests in life.
Surely many have heard stories about such couples who, after many years of unsuccessful attempts at conception, eventually gave up and adopted someone else's child, and a few months later the woman discovered that she was pregnant and expecting her own baby. In such situations, psychotherapy helps, and it is recommended to go through it together with a partner.
As women age, fertility may decline, which is a natural process. It is difficult to give exact figures, since the state of he alth of each woman is purely individual, but, as practice shows, on average, the chances of getting pregnant begin to decline from about thirty years old by five percent a year.
And after forty years, the possibility of pregnancy is very small, but the risk of miscarriage, and, in addition, fetal pathologies, on the contrary, increases. In this regard, at the age of forty it will be more reliable to resort to in vitro fertilization.
Symptoms of male infertility
Male infertility is when a woman's egg is notfertilized naturally.
Often there are no other obvious signs or symptoms. But in general, infertility can include:
- A man is unable to conceive a child.
- Delayed ejaculation or erectile dysfunction.
- Testicles swollen or painful.
- Face and body hair is much less than normal, there may also be other signs of hormonal or chromosomal pathologies.
- Sperm count below normal.
What are the symptoms of infertility in men, now it's clear.
Use of assistive technology
In the event that the above methods of infertility treatment have not yielded results, it makes sense to think about using assisted reproduction technologies. These include in vitro fertilization along with insemination, the use of donor sperm, and, in addition, surrogacy.
All these options differ both in their complexity and in their final effectiveness. For example, insemination is just the introduction of sperm into the uterus, and in vitro fertilization is a rather complex set of measures aimed at stimulating ovulation. Also, thanks to the extracorporeal method of treatment, it is possible to achieve fertilization of the egg and its implantation. We looked at the symptoms and treatment of infertility in women.
Prevention measures
Given that infertility is often the result of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the reproductive organs,it is required to regularly check the state of women's he alth, visiting a gynecologist at least once a year. In such a period of time, most infections will not have time to cause significant harm.
As for unscheduled examinations, they are required in case of a change of partner or method of contraception, and, in addition, when certain changes and symptoms appear. In addition to a gynecologist, women should also see an endocrinologist for effective treatment of infertility symptoms.
It is equally important to monitor nutrition, prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies, while maintaining a normal weight. At the same time, one should not go to extremes, since thinness and an extra 20 kg can serve as an obstacle to the desired motherhood. No matter how trite this advice may sound, but smoking, along with the use of alcoholic beverages, also has a detrimental effect on women's he alth and significantly reduces the chances of becoming pregnant. In this regard, bad habits are required to be completely abandoned immediately before pregnancy planning in order to exclude signs and symptoms of infertility in women.
Having children is one of the most important life tasks of any person. This issue should be approached with awareness and responsibility. Carrying out preparation for conception will not only make it possible to quickly become pregnant, but will also avoid many problems during gestation and childbirth, and, in addition, will help to quickly recover from them. This is the key to the he alth of the unborn child and his mother.
