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The Causes of Infertility

 

Infertility refers to the inability of a person, whether a male or female, to contribute to conception, and is grouped into two categories:

  1. Primary infertility – couples who have not had a positive pregnancy test after at least 1 year of trying.
  2. Secondary infertility – you have become pregnant at least once, but not again after the first pregnancy.

There are a wide range of reasons causing infertility in both men and women. Female infertility may occur when:

  1. The ovaries do not produce enough eggs
  2. The eggs cannot travel unimpeded from the ovaries to the uterus
  3. The fertilized egg does not attach to the uterine lining
  4. The fertilized egg does not survive inside the uterus

Infertility in women can be related to:

  • Endometriosis
  • PCOS – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
  • and other Disorders of Ovulation
    • Decreased Ovarian Reserve – High FSH Levels
    • Ovulating infrequently usually accompanied by Oligomenorrhoea (infrequent periods)
    • Not Ovulating at all accompanied by Amenorrhea (absence of period)
    • POF – Premature Ovarian Failure
    • Resistant Ovary Syndrome
    • Premature Menopause
    • Hyperprolactinaemia
    • Hypothalamic Anovulation
    • Luteal Phase Defect
    • Abnormally high stress levels that disrupt ovulation
  • Ovarian Cysts
  • PID – Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
  • Fallopian Tube Blockage
  • Irregular Menstrual Cycles – Hormonal Imbalances – Progesterone, Estrogen, LH, FSH, hCG
  • Immunological Factors that cause miscarriage
  • Cervical and Uterine Factors (Uterine Fibroids) that can impede conception and cause miscarriage
  • Thin Unresponsive Endometrium
  • Dysmenorrhea (painful periods) associated with endometriosis, fibroids
  • Natural Killer Cells
  • Blood clotting disorders
  • Autoimmune conditions including thyroid

Infertility can also be caused by obesity, drinking too much alcohol, use of certain medications (including chemotherapy drugs), excessive exercise, poor nutrition, eating disorders, diabetes and cancer.

As you can see the causes of infertility are many. If you are having trouble getting pregnant due to any of these conditions the good news is that acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help. Please call us at (954) 977-9077 to schedule a free consultation. We have helped many of our patients conceive and maintain healthy pregnancies. We are confident that we can help you too!