The Most Common Causes of Infertility

The average healthy couple has a 20% chance of conceiving each cycle. If there is some other factor affecting your fertility then your chances start to decline. When you fail to conceive after a year of trying you are considered infertile and should seek medical assistance. There are many reasons that a couple can fail to reproduce. Once you understand how conception takes place you may find that there is something inside you that is failing to allow it to happen.

Female Factor Infertility

PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) is an endocrine disorder where your body produces too much of the hormone androgen disrupting ovulation. PCOS can also be associated with obesity due to insulin resistance. Other symptoms include excessive hair growth, irregular periods, and acne.

Endometriosis is when the uterine tissue implants and grows outside of the uterus affecting the function of the ovaries, uterus and fallopian tubes. These implants respond to the hormonal cycle and grow, shed and bleed with the lining of the uterus each month, leading to scarring and inflammation. Pelvic pain and infertility are common side effects.

Tubal Blockages can affect the ability of the sperm to reach the egg. These can be caused by fibroids, STDs, and even a previous ectopic pregnancy.

Thyroid conditions can interrupt your cycle affecting your ability to conceive.

There are also certain lifestyle factors that can be interfering with your fertility. Excessive caffeine intake and certain medications will have an impact. There are also certain diseases that can make you infertile.

Male Factor Infertility

Abnormal sperm production occurs when the sperm aren't properly shaped and are unable to move toward the egg. If the shape and structure of the sperm are abnormal or the movement is impaired, conception will not be able to occur.

Low Sperm Count is when you produce 10 million or fewer sperm per millimeter of semen. The average healthy male will produce greater than or equal to 20 million sperm per millimeter.

Varicocele is a varicose vein in the scrotum that prevents cooling of the testicle, which can lead to lower sperm count and motility.

There are certain lifestyle factors that can interfere with the male's ability to conceive such as emotional stress, obesity, malnutrition, alcohol/drugs, and tobacco use.

The body is complex machine and even just a small wrench can throw it out of sync. Try to make your lifestyle as healthy as you can. If you still are unable to conceive a child you will need to make an appointment with your doctor for an infertility workup.