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Infertility is defined as the failure to become pregnant after
one
year of unprotected, well-timed sexual intercourse. It can be caused by hormone
dysfunction, blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, endometriosis, scarring of the tubes connecting the
ovaries with the uterus, abnormal or decreased number or sperm, poor cervical
mucus or a number of other factors. Some causes of
infertility readily respond to natural medicine, while others do not. The
specific causes of infertility should always be diagnosed by a physician before
considering any possible solutions.
Typically, there are no symptoms of the
infertility for most infertile women. For some women, obesity, acne, excessive facial
hair, heavy, irregular, or absent menstrual periods, or fluid
leaking from the breasts could be symptoms of hormone imbalances that might interfere with
fertility.
Infertility can be treated with drugs such as clomiphene
(Clomid®, Serophene®),
gonadorelin (Factrel®, Lutrepulse®), human chorionic gonadotropin or
“hCG”
(A.P.L.®, Fullutein®, Humegon®, Pregnyl®, Profasi®), and human menopausal
gonadotropins or “hMG” (Metrodin®, Pergonal®, Repronal®).
Clomid is a commonly prescribed "anti-estrogen" which fools the brain into
thinking that estrogen levels are low, so that it creates more FSH (follicle
stimulating hormone). Most injected
fertility drugs are actually FSH or FSH-like compounds. hCG is given as an ovulation trigger.
hCG
and luteinizing hormone (LH) are chemically very similar.
hCG is given to mimic the role of LH,
since there isn't a true LH product available.
As fertility medications may stimulate
more than one egg (often that is the primary goal), pregnancy with two or more
babies occurs more often than the 1-2% of spontaneously conceived pregnancies in
the general population. Multiple pregnancies occur in about 7% of
clomiphene stimulated cycles and 20-30% in fertility injection cycles. The
majority of pregnancies in both cases are twins.
Artificial insemination (IUI) can also be used to
treat infertility by placing sperm directly into
the cervix or uterus. In vitro fertilization is a more advanced procedure where the egg (collected from the ovary in a surgical
procedure) and the sperm are combined under controlled conditions in a
laboratory. The fertilized embryo is then implanted into the woman’s uterus in
another surgical procedure.
Changes in diet could be helpful in
treating infertility. Studies show that consumption of excessive amounts of
caffeine has been associated with delayed conception in women trying to get
pregnant. Caffeine consumption equivalent to more than two cups of coffee per
day has also been associated with an increased incidence of infertility due to tubal
disease or endometriosis. In another study, women who drank more than one
cup of coffee per day had a 50% reduction in fertility, compared with women who
consumed less coffee.
Caffeine is found in regular coffee, black tea, green tea,
many soft drinks,
chocolate, cocoa, and some over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. While not every
study has found that caffeine reduces female fertility, many doctors highly recommend that
women who are trying to conceive avoid caffeine.
Consumption of fish contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may
also reduce the ability of women to conceive. Studies have shown that women who
ate more than one meal per month of fish from waters known to be contaminated
with PCBs took longer to become pregnant than women who ate less contaminated
fish.
Certain lifestyle changes may also be
helpful in reducing infertility. The more women smoke, the less likely
they are to conceive. Additionally, women whose mothers smoked during their
pregnancy are less likely to conceive compared with those whose mothers were
nonsmokers. Therefore, quitting smoking may enhance fertility.
Drinking alcoholic beverages, even in
moderation, has been linked to an
increased risk of infertility in women by some, though not all, research. One
such study showed a greater than 50% reduction in the probability of
conception in a menstrual cycle during which participants consumed alcohol.
Also, caffeine appeared to enhance alcohol’s negative effect in this study. Women
who abstained from alcohol and consumed less than one cup of coffee per day were
more than twice as likely to conceive compared with those who consumed any amount of alcohol and more than one
cup of coffee per day. Based on these preliminary studies, women who wish to improve their chances of conception
should avoid both alcohol and caffeine.
Being excessively overweight or underweight
can also contribute to
infertility in females. Infertile women who are either overweight or underweight
should consult a physician.
Some conventional medications have been
shown to interfere with fertility. Infertile women who are taking prescription drugs should consult their physician or pharmacist.
Some nutritional supplements can be
helpful in increasing fertility. Researchers have found that
taking a multivitamin-mineral supplement can increase female fertility.
Vitamin E deficiency in animals leads to
infertility. In a preliminary
human trial, infertile couples given vitamin E supplements (200 IU per day for the female
and 100 IU per day for the male) showed a significant increase in fertility.
Preliminary research provides some
evidence that even a subtle deficiency of iron can be a cause of infertility.
Infertile women should consult a
doctor to rule out the possibility of iron deficiency.
PABA is believed to
increase the ability of estrogen to facilitate fertility and some previously infertile women have become pregnant after supplementing with
PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), 100 mg four times per day.
Supplementation with the amino acid, L-arginine (16 grams per day), has been
shown to improve fertilization rates in women with a previous history of failed
attempts at in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Some herbs have also been shown to be
helpful. Vitex is occasionally used
as an herbal treatment for infertility—particularly in cases with established
luteal phase defect (shortened second half of the menstrual cycle) and high
levels of the hormone, prolactin. Some
doctors recommend taking 40 drops of a liquid extract of vitex
each morning with water. Approximately 35–40 mg of encapsulated powdered vitex
(one capsule taken in the morning) provides a similar amount. Use of vitex
should be discontinued once a woman becomes pregnant.
Infertility treatment is patient
initiated and a visit with a fertility specialist is highly recommended for
those women who have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for over a year, or
six months for women over 35 years old.
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