What Causes Female Infertility?

what causes female infertility

There are many causes of female infertility that make it hard for women to get pregnant. For those that want children this is often a difficult emotionally painful condition to endure.  Some of the conditions that cause female infertility are hormonal issues, scarred ovaries, early menopause, follicle problems, and endometriosis.

Other factors are poorly functioning fallopian tubes, polycystic ovary syndrome; bicornuate uterus, polyps and too much prolactin. Sometime it is caused by hypostomatic dysfunction. All these disorders can be the reason for female infertility. There are many fertility drugs available to treat these disorders and different types of surgery that may be able to help women get pregnant.

PCOS

PCOS is an ovulation disorder that causes a hormone imbalance in the body. It affects ovulation and is involved with insulin resistance, abnormal hair growth on the face and body, and acne. This is one the biggest causes of female infertility. The body does not produce normal eggs that can be fertilized.  Often women with this condition do not have well developed follicles and sometimes develop cysts.

Malfunction of the Pituitary Gland and Hypothalamus Glands

The hypothalamus sends two hormones to the ovaries that help with egg development. They are FSH and LH. When this fails to happen it causes infertility. The pituitary is responsible for producing and secreting these two hormones. If there is too little or too much it will cause infertility. Often tumors, physical injury, and a hormone imbalance can cause this problem.

Scarred Ovaries and Premature Menopause

Scarred ovaries are often caused by multiple surgeries and infections that lead to female infertility. The follicles do not develop properly and lead to normal ovulation. Frequent infections that are not treated properly can lead to scarred ovaries. Some women stop menstruating and go into early menopause. This sometimes occurs in extremely athletic women and it is suggested that their supply of eggs has been depleted. This often occurs in women that are underweight too.

Poorly Functioning Fallopian Tubes

There are many causes of problems with fallopian tubes and surgery often correct the problem. It can be caused by bacterial infections from sexual activity and other diseases. Sometimes fluid collects in both ends of the tube causing a blockage. Illness like colitis often causes damage to the fallopian tubes. Tubal pregnancies and congenital defects sometimes lead to damage to the tubes.

Endometriosis and Bicornate Uterus

Endometriosis is a condition that causes excessive growth of tissue on the lining of the uterus. The tissue often grows in the abdomen, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and in the pelvic area. It causes painful periods, rectal bleeding, urinary problems ,and early bleeding. About 10% of women are affected by this disease.

A bicornate uterus is an odd shaped uterus that make it hard for the woman toconceive. It is a common uterine problem that can affect a woman’s ability to conceive a child. It is a defect found in about 1 in 5 women. They estimate that women with this disorder have a 60% success rate of delivering a normal child.

The miscarriage rate is lower for women with a bicornate uterus than a septate uterus. A bicornate uterus causes premature labor, trapped placenta, andbreech position. It can often be corrected with surgery. A septate uterus is another defect that often leads to miscarriages. There are surgical procedures to correct this problem

Premature Ovarian Insufficiency and Too Much Prolactin

Sometimes the immune system attacks ovarian tissue or you lose eggs due to a genetic condition. This causes the inability to produce eggs in the ovary and decreased estrogen production which is important to fertility. Too much prolactin released by the pituitary gland decreases estrogen in the body. It can be caused by medications that the women is taking and damage to the pituitary gland.

There are many causes of female infertility. The good news is that there are many fertility medications, surgeries and treatments that can help. Don’t suffer from female infertility talk to a doctor to learn how you can treat this problem. Many women have successfully overcome their fertility problem.

By Joan Russell