Symptoms of Infertility
Infertility for women under 35 is defined as the failure to achieve a pregnancy after having unprotected intercourse for one full year. If you are over 35 the time frame changes from one year to 6 months of unprotected intercourse without achieving a pregnancy.
We have outlined below some of the symptoms to be aware of that may lead to infertility.
Irregular Menstrual Cycle
If your cycles are irregular, less than 24 days or more than 35 days, or if your cycles come unpredictably, this may be a sign of possible ovulation problems which may cause fertility problems.
Heavy or light menstrual bleeding
The normal time frame for monthly menstrual bleeding is between 3 to 7 days. Symptoms of irregular menstrual bleeding include very light or heavy bleeding. In addition, significant changes from month to month in terms of the heaviness, coloring, existence of severe cramps and the length of bleeding time may be a sign of fertility issues.
Age
Women over the age of 35 have an increased chance of having difficulties with fertility. At the age of 30 the average woman's chance of conceiving during any one cycle is 20% and decreases to just 5% by the age of 40.
Weight
It is very important to stay at a healthy weight when trying to conceive. Research suggests that being overweight, and even underweight, could have affect the timing it takes to conceive. Women, in a study published in Fertility and Sterility in 2004, which had a pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-39, had a twofold increase in the time it took to get pregnant. A low BMI can be even worse, as women with a BMI below 19 increased the time to conception fourfold.
BMI Calculator
Miscarriages
Suffering from recurrent miscarriages (also known as recurrent pregnancy loss) is also a symptom of infertility. Since miscarriages are not uncommon occurring between 10%-20% of pregnancies, most doctors do not consider a woman is dealing with a fertility problem until after the 3rd miscarriage.
Chronic Illnesses
Chronic illnesses and their treatments may also lead to fertility problems. Illnesses such as diabetes and hypothyroidism may cause fertility problems, according to The American Fertility Association. Insulin, antidepressants, and thyroid hormones commonly used for those illnesses may lead to irregular cycles. Some cancer treatments may also lead to fertility problems. IVF FLORIDA offers fertility preservation {hyperlink to fertility preservation page} for patients prior to starting their cancer treatment.
Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Infection and inflammation associated with STDs may cause a blockage of the fallopian tubes causing infertility. Since some STDs such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea may not cause noticeable symptoms in women, it's important to be screened for STDs.
Beverage Consumption
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that having too much caffeine may impair a woman's fertility. More than five cups of coffee a day is associated with lower fertility, however moderate caffeine consumption, two cups a day, seems to acceptable and does not have a negative effect on fertility, states The American Society for Reproductive Medicine. As with caffeine, alcohol moderation is critical as well. Reporting in Fertility and Sterility, Swedish researchers found that women who drank two alcoholic beverages a day recognized nearly a 60% decrease in their fertility. To take away this variable it may be wise to avoid alcoholic beverages when trying to conceive. Similarly, when you learn that you are pregnant you will need to discontinue alcohol completely.
Smoking
A study published in the Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that smoking cigarettes can severely impair both a woman and a man's fertility. It was found that smoking may affect how receptive the uterus is to the egg and in men it was found to lower sperm production and potential damage DNA.
