Dr. Sharmishtha Patra

Infertility is a growing problem, which has forced couples to seek alternative methods of conception. There can be a host of reasons behind infertility in both men and women. Endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes and lack of ovulation are some common causes that most people are aware of. However, here is a look at some lesser-known causes of infertility.

1. Obesity: 5% of India’s total population is morbidly obese. Unhealthy lifestyle, regular consumption of junk foods, lack of bodily movements, is to blame for the rampant obesity. This excess body weight and fat can often cause severe problems for fertility. A couple needs to maintain their respective ideal weights if they want to stand the maximum chance of conceiving a child naturally.
2. Stress: Prospective mothers know that stress during pregnancy can be quite harmful for the baby. However, stress levels can severely limit your chances of getting pregnant as well. Research has shown that stress can even damage the eggs in women, leading to the infertility.
3. Intense exercise: While moderate amount of exercise and physical activity is known to boost fertility, spending too much time in the gym can be counterproductive when you are trying to have a baby. Going for a jog every morning or engaging in simple cardio workouts can help increase fertility, while weight training can pose serious problems in this phase of life. Similarly, steer clear of any protein supplement as well.
4. Smoking: Well, this may not come as a surprise, but smoking affects your fertility and not in a good way. Both men and women are adversely affected by tobacco smoking. The quality of the sperm is severely damaged in a man who smokes regularly. Similarly, the eggs may also be damaged due to cigarette smoke.
5. Processed foods: Processed meats can drastically reduce the sperm count in a man. If you are in the habit of eating such foods, ensure that you give it up and start consuming more organic meat and vegetables. This is much better for your general health and aids the goals of conception as well.

Lastly, ensure that you engage in sexual intercourse throughout the ovulation cycle and not just at the time when a pregnancy is most likely. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

PCOS or Polycystic ovary syndrome is a condition where a woman’s body produces excessive male sex hormones. This leads to an imbalance in the body, adversely affecting the chances of a successful pregnancy. Additionally, women who suffer from the disorder may have excess facial hair growth or baldness.

Treatment for PCOS
Even though there is no permanent cure for the PCOS, the treatment can help manage the symptoms. Here is a look at some treatments used.

1. Birth Control- Regularly ingesting birth control pills can help regulate the female hormone levels in the body. These drugs contain estrogen and progestin hormones, which restores the normal hormonal balance.
2. Type 2 diabetes medication- These drugs increase the insulin levels in the body. This not only helps deal with PCOS, but also restores the normalcy of the menstrual cycles.
3. Fertility Drugs- These medications are used to induce ovulation. However, the usage of such drugs may lead to multiple births in some cases.
4. Hair removal treatment- The excess hair growth can be stopped or prevented with the help of medications. Additionally, laser hair removal procedures may also be used to get rid of the unwanted hair from the body.
5. Surgery- If all other treatments fail to prodcue with the desired results, surgery may be considered to restore normal ovulation.

Ongoing Care For Patients
Since this condition is incurable, patients need to stick to the treatment throughout their life. Along with medications, certain lifestyle and diet restrictions must also be maintained.

1. Losing excess body weight
2. Follow a health diet. Consult a doctor before you start a particular diet, but generally try to limit carbohydrate intake if you have PCOS.
3. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day for three days a week

It is crucial to understand that PCOS is treatable, even though there is no cure. If you follow the directives of the physician, you can lead a relatively normal life, even when you suffer from this condition.

With the advent of the 21st century and the accompanying sedentary lifestyle, women’s period cycles have increasingly started becoming irregular. If you think you are included in the list, this is the place to get a few facts cleared up.

Periods are deemed ‘irregular’ when the cycle stretches to more than 35 days instead of the normal 28, or bleeding occurs before 28 days. The scientific name of irregular periods is ‘Oligomenorrhea’. Read on to find out causes, symptoms and cures.

Causes:
Periods become irregular due to a lot of factors, like:

1. Changes in contraceptive methods: A switch in contraception, like say using a combination of progestin and estrogen pills in place of progestin pills alone.
2. Hormonal imbalances: During or slightly after/before menopause, the levels of estrogen and progesterone decline in the female body leading to irregular periods.
3. Endurance exercises aka aerobics: These exercises, built to increase your heart rate, can put pressure on lower-body parts like the stomach and uterus and lead to irregular periods.

Symptoms:
Following are the symptoms which will help you detect if you have irregular periods:

1. Appearance of clots more than 2.5 cm in diameter.
2. Change in rates of blood flow, with flow being heavy or fast some days and slow and light other days of the cycle.
3. Less than 11 or more than 13 periods per year.

Treatment:
Irregular periods are treated in any of the many ways listed below:

1. Weight loss: Weight loss, either by gymming or surgically, cures irregular periods by reducing the amount of testosterone the body needs to produce, facilitating ovulation.
2. Thyroid treatment: Radioactive iodine therapy, surgery and/or medication are used to treat thyroid disorders that sometimes are underlying causes of irregular periods.
3. Psychological counseling: Periods often become irregular due to stress, emotional trauma and depression. Counseling treats these, and helps treat irregular periods in the process.

Periods become irregular due to whole gamut of both lifestyle as well as physical and emotional reasons, and help is always at hand. Check out the symptoms you have and their meaning, and quickly book an appointment with your doctor. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!