Dr. Ajit Kumar Shetty

Almost every man and woman craves to have a child they can call their own. This makes an inability to procreate one of the most dreaded situations. Infertility can be defined as the inability to conceive a child within 12 months of biologically appropriately timed intercourse. Infertility exacts a huge psychological toll on the person.

Infertility often triggers depression in a person. This may be acute and result from specific events such as the holidays, family celebrations of the news of a someone else having conceived a child or could be cyclic and coincide with phases of their fertility cycle. This depression could lead to problems at work and communication with the spouse.

Infertility can also make a person feel helpless and affect their self esteem. Infertility accompanied by depression can trigger the feeling of having lost control over one’s life and can make people withdraw into themselves.

An infertile person may also often feel guilty and make them blame themselves and their prior actions for the condition. This leads them to question their worthiness of being a good spouse and potential parent. A woman who has suffered from an STD (sexually transmitted disease) earlier or has undergone an abortion earlier can become obsessed with blaming herself for being infertile. 

This affects their daily lives and ability to work. An infertile person may also feel guilty for having robbed their partner of the chance to become a parent. This can put a strain on their relationship and in many cases lead to a broken marriage.

When they find themselves unable to conceive a child, a couple may try to time their intercourse with ovulation tools, such as an ovulation thermometer etc. and may try different positions, some of which may be fairly uncomfortable. They may also end up having intercourse more often than desired. In order to prevent sperm from leaking out of the vagina, a woman may also find herself lying in an awkward supine position after intercourse. A combination of all these factors makes the act a chore and with time can lead to a loss of libido.

Infertility can also trigger anger against life for having been treated unfairly or towards other parents. This may also be displaced towards their family and friends leading to situations where they feel ostracized and unsupported.

When dealing with infertility, it is important to understand that neither partner is to blame. Infertility is a physiological condition and can be treated in most cases. It is important for both partners to support each other during this process and if need be consult a counselor.

In a normal pregnancy, the egg that the ovaries release enters the fallopian tube. If a sperm fertilises it, the fertilised egg attaches itself inside the uterus. However, sometimes the fertilised egg can attach itself outside the uterus. This condition is called ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy can be detected in the first few weeks of the pregnancy itself. If your doctor does discover ectopic pregnancy, you would need immediate medical attention. Ectopic pregnancies can be sad and scary. The survival rate of the baby is extremely low, and you may need some time to get over your loss. Fortunately, one ectopic pregnancy doesn't mean you can never conceive again. Many women who lost their first baby to ectopic pregnancy have been able to have a healthy and normal pregnancy the second time around.

The causes of ectopic pregnancy include:

1. An inflammation or infection of the fallopian tube can lead it to become entirely or partially blocked.
2. Scar tissue from a surgery or an infection of the fallopian tube may also hinder the movement of the fertilised egg.
3. Surgery in the tubes or pelvic areas in the past might cause adhesions.
4. Birth defects or abnormal growths can cause anomalies in the shape of the tube.

These causes are usually followed by certain risk factors, such as:

• Age (The age group of 35-44 especially)
• An ectopic pregnancy in the past
• Previous abdominal or pelvic surgery
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Several prompted abortions
• Conceiving with an intrauterine device in place
• Smoking
• Endometriosis (growth of uterus lining tissues outside the uterus).
• Fertility treatments.

The signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include:

1. Minimal vaginal bleeding
2. Vomiting and nausea with pain
3. Pain in the lower abdomen
4. Sharp cramps in the abdomen
5. Localised pain (Pain concentrated on one side of your body)
6. Pain in your neck, rectum or shoulder
7. Rupture of the fallopian tubes can cause fainting due to the bleeding and pain

The treatment of ectopic pregnancy can be any one of the following:

1. If the pregnancy has not progressed too far, methotrexate will be administered. This absorbs the pregnancy tissue and can save the fallopian tubes.
2. The tubes may be removed if they have ruptured or stretched, and have started bleeding.
3. Laparoscopic surgery (operations performed by making minor incisions) may be performed to remove or repair the tubes and recover the ectopic pregnancy.

The process of cheese making is an age old practice dating back to ancient times and is practiced all over the world. As a dairy product, produced in a manner akin to that of yogurt production, cheese can be made in numerous ways, depending on how the curdling milk coagulates and on the nature of decomposition of the solid particles like proteins and fats, and the liquid particles. Further, through the application of acids, such as vinegar or lemon juice, the final product can be altered and determined according to its consistency, flavor and appearance. Usually, acids are used for catalytic purposes in the production of soft cheeses like Cottage cheese, Camembert, Brie, Ricotta cheese and sour cream, which do not normally require much time to age. In contrast, semi-hard and hard cheeses are made with rennet and ripened with bacteria or mold.

These include Parmesan, Blue, Swiss, Roquefort, Cheddar, Colby and Asiago cheeses and are more often known as grating cheeses.

Cheese, like other dairy products, is highly nutritious, rich in calcium content, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin K2, sodium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc riboflavin as well as probiotics. Besides its high nutritional value, here are other benefits which you may acquire from the consumption of cheese:

Strong and healthy bones

Cheese has always been considered an ideal source of nutrients for bone health, especially because of the presence of B-complex vitamins along with high protein and calcium content. With the right amount of cheese, a number of bone problems associated with ageing like Osteoporosis, for instance, can be prevented. Moreover, cheese also protects your teeth from acid erosion, caused by tea, coffee, soda or wine, as they help in raising the natural pH levels in the mouth.

Heart benefits
Cheese consumption also helps in protecting your heart from threats of cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases.

Favorable for athletes
Cheese contains a fat-burning conjugated linoleic acid, which helps reduce the size of fat cells and is effective in burning fats to muscles. In addition, with the presence of a fairly high level of calories, cheese helps the athlete in gaining mass, thereby making it immensely favorable for athletes.