October 30th, 2009 by Katherine
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, also called PCOS, is an endocrine or hormonal disorder and is the most common cause of infertility in women. PCOS may affect a woman’s menstrual cycle, hormones, insulin production, heart blood vessels. and finally appearance. If the quantity of male hormones is more than that of female hormones in a woman’s body then she is likely to suffer from PCOS. This growth of PCOS adversely affects the ovulation rate of a woman and can cause irregular ovulation.
PCOS restricts the growth of ovarian follicles and as a result these follicles are not able to release eggs. The follicles are left with less time to reach maturity and they continue to grow as small size cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in the ovaries. However women with cysts need not necessarily have PCOS.
Symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
The main symptoms of PCOS that doctors look for while diagnosing the causes of infertility include:
• Irregular and/or no ovulation which means no eggs to be impregnated
• Irregular and/or no menstruation
• Increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes
• High levels of male hormones, also called androgens
• Severe acne, oily skin, or dandruff
• Considerable pelvic pain
• Weight gain or obesity, especially extra weight around the waist
• High cholesterol level and high blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Male-pattern baldness or thinning of hair
• Skin discolorations around the genitals, chest and arm pits
• Growth of skin tags, or tiny flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area
• Sleep apnea i.e. excessive snoring and occasional stoppage of breathing while sleeping
• Insulin resistance
All of these symptoms need not be present for the diagnosis of PCO. The tests to confirm the suspected diagnosis include:
1. A reverse FSH/LH ratio performed on Day 3 of the menstrual cycle
2. Characteristic appearance of the ovaries on a pelvic ultrasound
3. Characteristic appearance of the ovaries when visualized surgically by laparoscopy or laparotomy
Treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
As per the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, treatment procedures for PCOS differ from one patient to another based on symptoms and whether the woman wants to conceive or needs contraception. A detailed look at the symptoms and family history is essential to start appropriate treatment. Controlling the symptoms of PCOS is the best cure to reduce the risks associated with it.
To control the side effects of PCOS a healthy diet and regular exercise are crucial. The remedies for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) include:
• Contraceptive pills: Not exactly a cure for PCOS, these pills regulates menstrual periods, reduce male hormone levels and acne growth. But once the pills are discontinued, the menstrual cycle tends to again become abnormal.
• Diabetes Medications: Medicines for type 2 diabetes such as Metformin, also called Glucophage, regulates glucose, decreases testosterone production, slows down abnormal hair growth and normalize ovulation after a few months of use.
• Fertility treatments: The lack of ovulation is the main fertility problem for women with PCOS. However, before starting with fertility treatment it is essential that ***** count and the partner’s tubes are checked to make sure they are open.
• Ovarian Drilling Surgery: This surgery, considered the last treatment option, is used to induce ovulation. This helps in reducing male hormone levels and aids ovulation. However, the surgery carries a risk of developing scar tissue on the ovary.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight: Healthy weight lowers glucose levels, restores regular periods and uses insulin more effectively. It has been proved that losing even a small amount of weight can help balance hormones and restore fertility.
If the normal course of treatment for PCOS does not yield positive conception results, it is essential to seek out the care of a Reproductive Endocrinologist. East Bay Fertility Center (www.ebfertility.com), California, offers a wide range of infertility treatments along with expert medical counseling to couples facing difficulty in conceiving. Under the guidance of Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician, medical staff at East Bay provides dedicated treatment for infertility and reproductive endocrine issues. East Bay Fertility Center specializes in providing infertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, insemination, Intracytoplasmic ***** injection, egg donation and gestational surrogacy.
With the right type of treatment and intervention, East Bay Fertility Center assists couples who have been having problems conceiving to overcome those difficulties in the shortest possible time in order to realize their dreams of having a healthy baby.
Call us at 925.828.9235 for a free initial consultation or visit our website at www.ebfertility.com for more details about infertility treatments and more.
August 16th, 2009 by Katherine
The first obvious symptom of infertility is the inability to conceive. Unfortunately, most women or men won’t discover their infertility until they have tried unsuccessfully to conceive for a period of time. Usually, it takes many tests and exams to come to the conclusion of an infertility diagnosis, but there are a few symptoms to be on the lookout for. A range of emotional and social problems and tensions between the couple regarding childlessness.
Some women experience physical symptoms associated with infertility, while others don’t have any physical signs. As unpleasant as these symptoms may be, they can alert your healthcare provider to the cause of your infertility, and help speed up the diagnostic process.
For most couples, the first sign of infertility is when after a year of unprotected sex, they can’t get pregnant. It is possible to have regular cycles, a healthy *** life, not have any of the risk factors, be generally healthy, and still suffer from infertility. But for some couples, there are early warning signs or risk factors that may hint to a fertility problem, before they try for six months to a year unsuccessfully.
For women younger than 30, some health professionals will diagnose a couple with infertility and offer treatment only after 3 years of trying to become pregnant. For women over 35, some health professionals encourage beginning testing and treatment after 6 months of trying to become pregnant.
However, some men with hormonal problems may note a change in their voice or pattern of hair growth, ****** enlargement or difficulty with sexual function. Infertility in women may be signaled by irregular menstrual periods or associated with conditions that cause pain during menstruation or ***********. Infertility may also be accompanied by a wide range of emotions felt by one or both members of the couple.
The main symptom of infertility is the inability for a couple to get pregnant. There may be no other obvious symptoms of infertility.
In some cases, an infertile woman may have abnormal menstrual periods. An infertile man may have some signs of hormonal problems such as changes in hair growth or sexual function.
Infertility is the diminished ability or the inability to conceive and have offspring. Infertility is also defined in specific terms as the failure to conceive after a year of regular *********** without contraception. Irreversible infertility is also referred to as sterility.
Male infertility occurs when the man’s partner does not conceive after one year of attempting to become pregnant. Other signs and symptoms depend on the underlying cause of the man’s infertility.
Infertility include a wide range of physical as well as emotional factors. Approximately 30 – 40% of all infertility is due to a “male” factor such as retrograde ejaculation, impotence, hormone deficiency, environmental pollutants, scarring from sexually transmitted disease, or decreased ***** count. Some factors affecting ***** count are heavy marijuana use or use of prescription drugs such as cimetidine, spironolactone, and nitrofurantoin.
It is important for a woman to know her body and monitor it closely. Physical changes such as irregular periods or the absence of menstruation, pelvic pain, chronic acne and weight gain can act as clues. Telling your doctor about any symptoms right away can help him/her make a diagnosis and bring you and your partner one step closer to your goal.
August 5th, 2009 by Katherine
One of the inherent problems in women is infertility. Infertility comes in various forms due to different causes and effects. Some women are so unaware of it until they intend to get pregnant. Men may also be affected by this condition and like women, the signs of infertility vary. Apparently the end result is always the same, infertility.
It is always recommended that a couple visit their doctor (OBGYNE) when they are in the process of trying to have a baby. After having an unprotected sexual *********** as often as 3 times a week for the past couple of years, this indicates that the wife wants to get pregnant. At this frequency of sexual contact and there is failure of pregnancy, an infertility test maybe in order to both parties. A thorough discussion, information and diagnoses from one’s doctor can address any problem of infertility.
It is common among women is the irregularity of their menstrual cycle and may just be one of the reasons leading to the condition. Weight disorder, such as obesity and eating disorder like anorexia may lead to hormonal imbalances causing infertility problems. In both cases, such conditions may highly affect their reproductive systems. Alcohol, substances and drug abuse are definitely destructive to anyone’s physical body and eventually affect the reproductive organs leading to infertility. Most of these instances are often diagnosed as causes. The signs may not be seen by the ***** eye, but obviously the cause and effect generate certain bio-chemical discrepancy and anomaly in one’s metabolism and points to a logical conclusion, that is infertility. Definitively, infertility exists when failure to conceive a baby occurs. Women who are habitual illegal drug users and substances disrupt her entire physical system and may impair their reproductive system and cause abnormal growth in fetuses.
Infertility also plagued a lot of men just like it does to women. This may have been caused by physical problems or deformities with devastating psychological and physiological effect. One factor worth considering is an affliction called undescended or displaced *********. This affliction reduces a man’s sexual performance and generates a very low ***** count, a step away from impotence. Other causes like congenital in nature and external activities, over indulgence in sports, fatigue and prolonged exposure to excessive heat may result to problems to one’s ******* and gonads. So does the wearing of tight fitting underwear and skin tight jeans may lead to non-productive and unhealthy ***** or ***** disabling a man to fertilize an ovum or a woman’s egg?
There are a lot of similarities among men and women pertaining to infertility symptoms. Both may have weight disorders, physical defects and abnormalities and even addiction resulting to men being sterile and women to be non-reproductive. In short, infertility may be inherent or acquired.
Women should love their bodies and observe self-awareness and be mindful of their menstrual cycle. They must be always on the look out for changes that occur during this miraculous cycle. A healthy diet, exercise and activities and sexual practices or norms may just be the answer to a wanted pregnancy. With these healthy and delightful conditions, with the proper romantic mood and with the right information about a woman’s ovulation period, any sexual contact or encounter is a promising journey to having a baby.