Update News

 

 

Diseases A to Z

A B C D E F G HI J K L M N O PQ R S T U V WX Y
Z

About disease:

Zift or Infertility is the inability to conceive child or to get pregnant after one year of planning. The condition does not come under any of the sexual disorders and is normally the result of aging of either or both the partners. For women who are 35 or older; Zift or infertility is a common syndrome taking away their capability of being parents.

 The condition is also categorized as women who can get pregnant but cannot stay pregnant for nine months long. This is other type of infertility women experiences due to number of reasons. There are certain parameters the physical health should match up with for a woman to conceive, stay pregnant and deliver a healthy child. Infertility is a common problem of about 10 per cent of women in the age group of 15 to 44.

It is a common condition observed in both of the sexes, men and women as a unknown symptom.

Causes of Infertility in men

  • Infertility on men is mostly caused due to a problem called varicocele (VAIR-ih-koh-seel). It happens when the veins in the testicles enlarge than its normal size creating heat in the testicles. This process affects the shape and number of sperms generated in the male body.
  • Other cause of infertility in men is when the male body fails to generate or produce few sperms or none at all.
  • The third cause is the movement of the sperm; this is generally because of some injuries or any other physical damage to the reproductive system which blocks the sperms from moving on.
  • In some cases, the man is born with some problems affecting the sperms , its growth and performance. And, in other cases the problem occurs later in life due to existence of any chronic illnesses or injuries.

Signs and Symptoms of Infertility

The basic symptom of infertility is unable to conceive or get pregnant. This is the common symptom for both men and women experiencing difficulties in getting pregnant. However, the additional symptoms include;

  • Infrequent ovulation; this can be observed when the periods occur more than once in the month, or delayed or sometimes are absent. This can be categorized as infrequent ovulation.
  • Some of the common causes of infrequent ovulation include eating disorders, unusually ambitious exercise training, low body weight, rapid weight loss, obesity and some other range of hormonal abnormalities.
  • Observance of some hormonal abnormalities such as thyroid problems, pituitary gland problems, adrenal gland problems, polycystic ovarian syndrome.
  • These are some of the major reasons delaying and preventing the ovaries from releasing an egg which is healthier to conceive.
  • Out of all, the hormonal abnormalities are the major ones delaying the natural process of fertility and conceiving.
  • Some other symptoms can be unexpected weight gain or loss, fatigue, Excessive hair growth or loss, Acne, ovarian cysts which can cause pelvic pains especially at the time of menstruation. These are some of the major elements interfering with the normal process expected of the ovaries.
  • Scarring of the fallopian tubes, this factor prevents pregnancy by ceasing the process which involves travelling of the egg to the uterus.
  • Physical damage like major surgery, previous ectopic tubal pregnancy, endometriosis and PID (Pelvic inflammation disease)
  • Abnormal shape or redefined lining of uterus can also be another symptom of a female suffering from infertility.
  • Existence of fibroid tumours and uterine polyps are also some of the symptoms defining the risks of infertility.
  • This can be experienced as heavy menstrual bleeding, pain in pelvis and uterine enlargement

How is infertility Diagnosed?

The basic step used by doctors is an infertility check-up. This involves a physical test and examination.  The doctor will also ask both the partners about their physical and sexual history. However, this will give them a bit of idea about the condition and help the doctor make a complete diagnosis with accurate results.

Many of the times, the doctor will carry out certain physical and uterine tests in female to understand the exact symptom of infertility.

In men, the diagnosis is done by making a semen test and by looking at the number, shape and movement of the sperm. Sometimes it is also carried out by testing the level of hormones a man’s body can generate.

In females the condition is examined by understanding her ovulation cycle and recognizing the consistency and accuracy of her menstrual dates. This can include a household test for women by tracking the ovulation cycle each month whether it is timely or not. This can be done by using a home ovulation test kit for accurate results.

In some of the cases, doctors might also do it with the help of ultrasound test of the ovaries. If ovulation is normal or complicated; other tests include hysterosalpingopraphy and Laparoscopy.

Treating Inferlity

Infertility is a normal condition these days in both men and women.  A variety of medications and health care treatments are available which reduces its impact by emphasizing on the essential elements causing infertility in both men and women.

The common medications include,

  • Clomiphene citrate (Clomid):  The medication causes ovulation by acting by emphasizing on the pituitary gland, the medicine is commonly used in women who fail to ovulate due to problems and complications in the pituitary glands. The medicine is often used as a treatment for females who have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and other problems of ovulation. Clomid is a medicine to be consumed orally.
  • Metformin (Glucophage): Doctors prescribe this medicine for insulin resistant women, or those experiencing PCOS. The medications help lower the high levels of male hormones in women by helping the body to ovulate. Sometimes, the medication is combined with Clomid and FSH (Follicle stimulating hormone, Follistim).

Prognosis

Infertily in both men and women can increase its risk if not followed under proper medical approach. Certain medications serve the primary cures which serves the reliable ones if the cause of trouble is not severe. However, the major issue arises in complicated anatomical conditions requiring heavy dose meds.  Under doctor’s supervision it is easier to overcome the issue and lead a healthy living.