Infertility: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment Methods

Modern medicine defines infertility as the inability to conceive a child with regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives for a year. Fortunately, this pathological condition responds well to medication. With timely treatment and adequate therapy, the likelihood of becoming pregnant increases significantly.

Causes of infertility

In order to understand the causes of infertility, it is necessary to understand the process of reproduction itself. In a normal state, the egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tube, where fertilization occurs. It turns out that the main condition for conceiving a child is the health of the reproductive system of both partners.

Infertility in men

Representatives of the stronger sex often suffer from injuries and problems with erectile function. The first places in the sad list of sources of pathological conditions are occupied by idiomatic (unknown) causes. Most experts agree that premature ejaculation, low sperm activity, impotence are the result of promiscuous sex, sexual illiteracy, infantilism or other psychological complexes.

If we consider infertility in men by clinical manifestations, then in 20% of cases the culprit of the disease is a failure in the endocrine system. Circulatory disorders make normal sexual intercourse impossible, and the feeling of inferiority only aggravates the problem, leading to the emergence of dangerous chronic disorders.

Often, the pathological condition becomes a complication of such a common disease as varicocele. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the spermatic cord and testicular veins. In this case, blood stagnation and a decrease in the quality of sperm appear. Drivers (shaking) and people working under the influence of high temperatures are most often at risk.

The influence of infectious diseases can be put into a separate group. Symptoms of infertility often occur in representatives of the stronger sex who have had mumps or another similar viral disease. It is also necessary to take into account the increased risk of complications after sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis disrupt the normal process of sperm formation, thereby significantly increasing the risk of pathology.

In addition to dangerous negative changes in the body that occur with cryptorchidism, hydrocele, chromosomal and genetic abnormalities, you must also remember about external factors. Problems with conception arise due to an unbalanced diet (lack of vitamins A, E, D, C), exposure to radiation, long-term drug therapy and chronic intoxication with lead, mercury or ammonia.

Infertility in women

Representatives of the weaker sex are less likely to suffer from the consequences of bad habits and negative external factors, but they are more susceptible to hormonal imbalances in the body. Approximately 40% of visits to medical institutions for help end with the detection of endocrine diseases.

Infertility in women often becomes a consequence of tubal-peritoneal pathologies. Decreased activity or obstruction of the canals is caused by the formation of adhesions in the tissues of the small pelvis, adhesion of the uterus, ovaries. Particular caution should be exercised by representatives of the weaker sex who have had tuberculosis of the genital organs.

Factors that significantly increase the risk of reproductive system pathologies:

• overweight (obesity negatively affects the state of the endocrine system and hormone production);
• bad habits (smoking, drugs, alcohol abuse);
• concomitant diseases (diabetes, rheumatism);
• poor nutrition (frequent diets lead to deterioration of health);
• susceptibility to psychological overload (stress, fears, emotional experiences adversely affect the ability to conceive).

Signs of infertility occur in women suffering from latent sexually transmitted infections. Often, a consultation with a gynecologist ends with the detection of the human papillomavirus, chlamydia or ureaplasma. Such diseases occur without obvious deterioration in health and are determined with a delay.

It should also be noted that there is a high risk of pregnancy problems in women with anatomical changes in the cervix, cancer, inflammatory changes in the cervical mucus.

Infertility and its diagnostics

In order to find out the sources of problems with conception, both partners must undergo a comprehensive examination. First of all, the doctor will collect anamnesis. Men should talk about past illnesses, operations related to the reproductive system, and the regularity of sexual activity. Women should not hide information about the number of abortions, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies. It is important to describe in detail the nature of the menstrual cycle (the presence of unusual discharge, pain syndrome).

The next step in determining the causes of the pathological condition is an examination and special tests. Representatives of the stronger sex take an ejaculate test to determine the activity and motility of sperm, the presence of blood, pus in the sample. Laboratory tests include prostate juice studies, microscopy of a urological smear, bacteriological culture, and a study of genes and hormones in the blood. Under certain conditions, additional hardware examinations are prescribed. Ultrasound of the pelvic organs and magnetic resonance imaging are effective.

Treatment of infertility in women is based on data obtained as a result of microscopy of a smear of vaginal discharge, determination of hormone levels, and examination of the uterus using a hysteroscope. It is important to exclude the effects of concomitant infections and determine the state of the reproductive system. For this, the gynecologist prescribes tests with progesterone, cerucal, dexamethasone, blood tests for STDs, PCR diagnostics. In some cases, hysterosalpingography (X-ray of the fallopian tubes) is necessary.

Infertility treatment

Therapeutic actions are reduced to eliminating the sources of the pathological condition. In men, the most widespread are hormonal therapy, surgical intervention to reduce venous congestion in varicocele, restoration of patency of the vas deferens, and the fight against sexually transmitted diseases. Consultations with a psychologist, urologist, and psychotherapist will not be superfluous.

For the fair half of humanity, correction of hormonal disorders, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial methods, reconstructive operations on the fallopian tubes and pelvic organs are effective. If the source of the disease is unknown, doctors prescribe assisted reproductive technologies. IVF is often the only way to overcome infertility.

You can improve your chances of getting pregnant by changing the lifestyle of both partners. You need to eat properly, in a balanced way, give up bad habits, and promiscuous sex. It is important to promptly treat any infectious diseases and regularly undergo examinations (at least once a year) with a gynecologist and urologist.