Signs of Fertility Problems in Women

Women in their busy routines, sometimes ignore the small problems faced repeatedly during the menstrual cycle. However, at some point of time they actually start thinking if they will be able to conceive a baby. But how do you know if you have fertility issues? 

Here are few common signs of infertility to raise an alarm before it is too late,   

The first and most obvious sign of a fertility problem is the lack of ability to get pregnant. Unless you want to actually get pregnant, you would not be able to encounter the problem. Birth control pills or condoms might keep you away from knowing these problems. 

So, all you need to do is try getting pregnant for few months. If you fail in the process try consulting a fertility specialist. 

Signs of Possible Fertility Problems for Women

Irregular periods (or no periods at all)

If you do not get your periods between regular intervals - or if you don’t get periods at all – then you may have fertility issues.

Sometimes, because of hormonal imbalance women get irregular periods and develop polycystic ovaries. It is not uncommon, about 10% of women are affected by this common health condition, which causes very small (less than 1 cm) cysts on the ovaries. Now, development of cyst might affect your fertility.

Pain during period

Fibroids, yeast or other infections, pelvic inflammatory diseases, and endometriosis can cause pain during menstruation. Is this a sign of fertility problems? Again, it depends on the reason for the pain. Some women have fibroids that don’t cause painful menstrual cramps. However, sometimes it becomes important to get them removed before in vitro fertilization.

If you experience painful cramps or abdominal pain during your period, go see a gynecologist. A minor fertility issue can grow into a serious problem if it’s not taken care of.

Painful sex

Although, not every time painful sex might lead to fertility problems but it depends on the reason of pain. One of the major reasons could be, Endometriosis - it can be problematic if you want to get pregnant. To know more about Endometriosis visit – www.raipurivf.com

The first thing you can do when you have acute pain during intercourse is to consult your family doctor or gynecologist. Determining the actual cause of pain would allow you to discover if there is a threat to your fertility or not, because not always painful sex means infertility.

Sexually transmitted diseases

If you have STDs or sexually transmitted diseases, you might experience pelvic inflammatory disease, which is an infection of the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes (tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus) and other reproductive organs. 

The most of symptoms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is lower abdominal pain.

STDs such as gonorrhea or chlamydia can cause fertility problems in women and men. 

In women, the problem comes from scar tissue buildup that affects your ability to get pregnant.

Common Reasons Women Can’t Get Pregnant

• Age – women lose fertility after age 30, more after 35, and faces acute problems in conceiving after age 40.
• Underweight or overweight – women with Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) over 30 and under 20 have better chances of getting pregnant. Ideal BMI is between 20 and 30.
• Hormonal changes – can cause fertility problems.
• Endometriosis or fibroids – can make getting pregnant difficult, depending on how advanced the disease is.
• Miscarriages – the more miscarriages a woman has, the less likely she may be to get pregnant.
• Sexually transmitted diseases – can affect a woman’s reproductive system.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease – can cause problems with getting pregnant.

Dr Neeraj Pahlajani