Infertility: causes, symptoms, treatment

Few people think about children at a young age, when it is customary to live, as they say, "for themselves." But sooner or later, every girl begins to feel the maternal instinct in herself, which gives rise to the desire to give birth to a baby and become a mother. Unfortunately, not everyone transitions from one role to another smoothly. The diagnosis of "infertility" - a verdict or is there still a chance of motherhood? Consider the causes, symptoms and treatment.

Infertility is the loss of a living organism of the reproductive function. A similar diagnosis can be made for both women and men. In this article, we'll take a closer look at the first option.

Infertility symptoms

The female body is quite complicated, so if after the first attempts to get pregnant you did not see the cherished two strips, this is not at all a reason to put an end to yourself and run to the doctor. Most often, such failures can be unfavorable days for pregnancy, which are easily calculated using a cyclic calendar. And since the menstrual cycle is individual for everyone and is often not constant, it is not always easy to get "to the point".

But you can think about going to the doctor if, with regular unprotected sexual intercourse, pregnancy does not occur. For the reporting period, as doctors say, one should take a year or more. In addition to the absence of the onset of pregnancy, it is practically impossible to identify infertility by physical symptoms, since the "disease" is quite quiet.

Only doctors can diagnose infertility after instrumental, physical, laboratory tests, examination, collection of anamnesis. Let's consider each in detail.

Anamnesis

Information received about the patient. The collection of information includes surveys on the topic of the menstrual cycle, its course, soreness, discharge, etc. These and other questions will help to find indirect symptoms that will help in diagnosis and further treatment.

Physical examination

During the physical examination, the following are analyzed to diagnose infertility:

• body mass index (below 20 or above 26);
• data on the state of the endocrine system;
• to what extent the body is developed, and especially the mammary glands;
• diagnosis of diseases of the female genital organs, as well as organs responsible for conception.

Instrumental and laboratory research

• studies to determine sexually transmitted infections;
• studies to identify the hormonal balance of the body;
• ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs, thyroid gland;
• magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to detect tumors;
• analysis to identify abnormalities and the presence of tumors of the pelvic organs;
• examination of the uterus, for its ability to conceive.

And only after all these studies have been completed, the doctor will be able to diagnose and name a specific cause that is an obstacle to pregnancy.

Types of infertility

In the common people, infertility has only one side, while in medicine there are several types of this diagnosis.

By the presence of previously existing pregnancies, infertility is divided into:

• Primary: in this case, the girl did not give birth before and did not even become pregnant. As a rule, it is caused by congenital anomalies, or acquired endocrine diseases.
• Secondary: it is considered, unambiguously, acquired. It is caused by pre-existing diseases, physiological or age-related changes.

But basically, infertility is divided depending on the cause by which it was caused.

Cervical infertility

In order for fertilization to occur, the female body must accept at least 10 million live sperm. Even a healthy vaginal environment is “protected” from foreign agents, including sperm. But in this case, the obstacles are not considered fatal, and the "tailed" manages to slip through, still reach the goal and get into the cervix, the walls of which are covered with mucus.

In the presence of pathologies, the obstacle to it is fatal. The mucus changes its chemical composition, and the existing infections interfere with the normal passage of the "tailed". This type of infertility occurs due to:

• hormonal disruption in the body;
• existing inflammation in the cervix;
• violations of the microflora of the cervix.

Tubal infertility

A mature egg moves through the tubes from the ovary to the uterus. The mucous cavity of the tubes is "equipped" with a ciliated coating. If the cilia are damaged, the egg can catch on the tube, causing an ectopic pregnancy. But the main factor of infertility is obstruction of the fallopian tubes. It can be complete or partial.

It can be caused by an overgrown tumor, inflammatory adhesions, complications, etc.

Cervical infertility

The central opening in the cervix acts as a gateway that connects the uterus and vagina. For the most part, it is closed to prevent the passage of alien agents, but sometimes it opens. Helps in opening and closing - mucus in the cervical canal. It changes its viscosity depending on the stage of the cycle, as well as the pH balance. In a healthy body, this is not a barrier to sperm. On the contrary, in this way the most favorable conditions for conception are created.

With pathology, sperm simply cannot penetrate into the pharynx of the uterus, which manifests itself as infertility. It is quite difficult to diagnose this species. Therefore, it is very important to find experienced doctors and a clinic with advanced equipment.

Tubal peritoneal infertility

All internal organs are protected by the mesentery, which prevents them from rubbing against each other. The abdominal cavity is filled with serous fluid, which prevents the organs from growing together. This allows each of them to exist separately from each other. The device of the female body is such that the fallopian tubes are suspended from this mesentery.

Pathologies lead to the fusion of the tubes with the mesentery. As a result of this: blood supply is disrupted, full innervation and mobility are lost. The functionality of the pipes is reduced to zero. The reason why the fusion occurred can only be determined by a doctor.

Immunological infertility

Pathology, when the female body completely rejects a foreign protein (sperm), is a rare phenomenon. Doctors still cannot give a full explanation of this reaction. Most often they talk about an allergic reaction of the second type.

Endocrine infertility

A common type of infertility caused by hormonal imbalances in a woman's body. There are many reasons that can lead to such a situation, so the diagnosis takes a lot of time.

Psychological

When a woman is constantly under stress, her body weakens, hormonal levels are disrupted. Moreover, stress can be one, but very strong. As a rule, for the treatment of infertility on a nervous basis, you need to contact not a gynecologist, but a good experienced psychologist.

Genetic

The genetic type of infertility has been studied very little. In this case, infertility comes due to:

• an excess of male hormones;
• proliferation of the uterine wall;
• premature menopause, etc.

Causes of female infertility

Female infertility can be caused by multiple factors. In some cases, it is very difficult to diagnose a specific cause. And it also happens that after a number of examinations, the doctor looks at the client's card and realizes with bewilderment that the patient, like her partner, is completely healthy, but still cannot conceive a baby. Sometimes, at first glance, insignificant factors merge together, creating a big problem for the female body.

The general list of reasons that are the culprits of infertility can be voiced as follows:

• congenital anomaly of the pelvic organs;
• acquired anomalies that impair the function of the reproductive organs;
• anatomical changes that have occurred during life;
• functional disorders;
• metabolic disorders.

It is also worth noting that after 35 years of age, the risk of getting a diagnosis of infertility is much higher, but getting rid of it becomes more and more difficult. The situation is aggravated if the woman has not given birth before.

There are a couple more reasons that have nothing to do with past gynecological diseases. These include:

• the age factor (every year the processes in the body slow down and cease to "behave" as before);
• regular use of contraception for a long time.

Contraceptives as a culprit in infertility

Doctors still have different opinions on this topic. At the same time, it is simply impossible to judge who is right and who is not. Since both some and others, there are serious arguments in their favor.

Those who believe that birth control pills (abrupt withdrawal from pills after prolonged use) help to become pregnant explain this by the subsequent release of the hormone estrogen in the body. The latter significantly increases the chance of pregnancy.

While the other side has data on patients whose chances of conception plummeted just after the course of oral contraceptives was taken.

It only proves that the truth is somewhere in between. And so you cannot immediately point to OK as the cause of infertility.

But one should be careful in the selection of the drugs themselves. Some girls make their own decisions on this type of contraception, buying the means that “a friend advised”. But each of the drugs has its own concentration of hormones, and is not suitable for everyone. Before the appointment, a good doctor will conduct an examination and send you for tests. And only after that, based on the results, she will write a prescription.

Secondary infertility

As we mentioned above, secondary infertility is diagnosed in women who have previously become pregnant or given birth and fail on subsequent attempts. Only a doctor will help to find out the exact reason that gave a failure in reproductive function. It is advisable if the examination is carried out twice, with several doctors.

Is infertility treated

To be precise, it is not the infertility itself that is treated, but the cause. After contacting a doctor, the latter prescribes tests and other procedures that will help to first determine the very presence of the disease, and then identify what was the focus.

Once all the cards are revealed, the specialist will prescribe the appropriate treatment, which, with a high probability, will lead to a successful conception.

Infertility treatment with folk remedies

Sometimes, the desire of women to become a mother is so strong that all the options for treating the disease are used. Folk remedies are especially popular, but not at all because of their effectiveness, but because not everyone has the finances for traditional medicine.

However, we will warn you in advance that self-medication is highly undesirable and dangerous. In the best case, the body will not be harmed. At worst, the situation will worsen. Moreover, as you already understood, there can be many reasons for infertility, so the chances that the folk remedy you have chosen will help are very small.

• Pour 50 g of dry plantain roots with a liter of boiling water and let it brew. Use a decoction for taking a bath: 1 liter of infusion per bath. Course: 15 sessions monthly, for three months.
• For 28 days, take 0.2 grams of mumiyo on an empty stomach daily with carrot juice.
• Pour three tablespoons of dry knotweed with 0.5 liters of boiling water and place in a thermos for 4 hours. Take an infusion of 100 g before meals, half an hour.
• To improve the microflora of the vagina, you can use soda douching. The solution is prepared in the following proportions: 0.5 liters of water to 0.5 teaspoon of soda. Douching can be done no more than two to three times a month.

Recommendations if infertility is suspected

1. Organize the date of conception in the period from 11 to 18 days of the cycle. It is important to remember that the first day of your cycle is the first day of your period.
2. Two days before the planned day of conception, a man should not ejaculate. This will help increase the concentration of sperm, and thus the chances of pregnancy.
3. Lubricants should be avoided during intercourse.
4. After sex, a woman should be away from washing.
5. To conceive, you need man cumshot in a "missionary" position. At the same time, after completion, the woman should lie on her back, bending and raising her knees, for about 20 minutes.

Fertility treatments

Fertility treatment methods can be divided into 3 types:

• conservative;
• operational;
• assisted reproductive technologies.

Conservative technique

• Hormonal... Comes to the rescue if the cause of infertility is hormonal disruption of the endocrine system. The treatment involves hormonal drugs that restore the ovulatory function of the body. Prescribing drugs takes place individually, taking into account age, weight, etc.
• Physiotherapy. It helps to improve blood circulation in the reproductive organs, accelerates metabolic processes in the body, and also helps to create the most favorable conditions for conceiving and bearing a baby. To speed up the treatment process, it is used in conjunction with medicines.
• Antibacterial... Helps in cases where it is necessary to eliminate infections due to which pregnancy does not occur.

Operational technique

• Laparoscopy. Several punctures are made through the abdominal cavity. Then micro-instruments are inserted into the punctures and manipulations are carried out to eliminate adhesions of the fallopian tubes, remove tumors, etc.
• Hysteroscopy. The specialist inserts a probe into the uterine cavity, at the end of which there is a chamber. Due to this, the doctor can see the problem "from the inside". The whole process takes place under local anesthesia, so there is nothing unpleasant and painful for the patient.

Assisted reproductive

Assisted reproductive function includes fertilization by IVF, ICSI, etc. It is used exclusively in cases where all the previous, more gentle methods do not give any results.

Infertility treatment - reviews

Modern medicine helps many women "deceive" nature and make their dreams come true by becoming a mother. Therefore, it is already clear that reviews on the treatment of infertility in the bulk are only positive. It is impossible to say which of the methods for normalizing fertility is better. Firstly, each organism is individual, and secondly, there are a huge number of reasons that cause infertility. Therefore, one treatment method will have a positive effect, while the other, the same one, will not show any results. Try to immediately contact the specialists as soon as you understand that it was not possible to conceive on your own. Check with your partner right away, as often the reason lies not only in the woman, but also in the man.

Do not give up, believe only in the best and then, very soon you will enter a new life, with the proud status of "Mom"!