Infertility is a condition that affects one’s reproductive organs, impeding their ability to bear children. A person can be born with such reproductive issues or it could be the result of a person’s lifestyle choices and habits or be the result of a prior medical procedure/treatment. In a lot of cases, the person’s current physiological status such as age and occupation have a lot to do with it, too.
As the number one facility offering fertility counseling in Davao, we want to make sure you’re equipped with a good measure of knowledge on the causes of infertility to help you know how you can preserve your fertility best.
Environment
One’s environment and the presence of toxins can affect a person’s fertility. The more polluted and the more pesticides are present in the air and are therefore inhaled, the more likely toxins are going to build up in the person’s system. Especially vulnerable are those working with chemicals, radiation, and heavy metals.
It doesn’t end with occupational exposure either; toxins can build up in a person’s system due to things such as pesticide-exposed fruits and vegetables, deep-sea fish which may contain mercury, or even lead-containing paint used around the house. Minimizing exposure to such elements can help you maintain better reproductive health and better health in general.
Stress
Every person needs a bit of stress every now and again, but chronic stress may lower a person’s ability to fight off illnesses and affect their hormones as well, especially for women. Even though stress itself doesn’t cause infertility per se, the resulting hormonal imbalance may cause a delayed or even skipped a menstrual cycle, making ovulation and the maturation of healthy eggs less likely to occur.
Age
For the woman, the number and quality of eggs from the ovarian reserve naturally decrease as she gets older beginning in her 30s. Fibroids, endometriosis, and tubal disease are also more common when you’re older, and they can affect one’s ability to get pregnant.
The quality of men’s sperm, on the other hand, begins to decline around his 40s, and such sperm may be more likely to produce offspring with chromosomal/developmental problems.
Smoking
Smoking is another thing that greatly affects the quality of a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm. Due to the chemicals found in cigarettes, female smokers experience a greater egg loss rate compared to non-smokers.
Male smokers, meanwhile, end up producing sperm with reduced quality and motility. This means lower sperm count and ability to move and travel to the egg successfully. Moreover, smoking makes men more likely to produce abnormally shaped sperm, which makes penetration of the egg and fertilization more difficult to achieve.
Weight
Being underweight or overweight affects both men’s and women’s fertility. If a man is under or overweight, his sperm quality tends to be lower. If a woman is under or overweight, her body’s estrogen production may end up either lacking or too much, making her reproductive system act out and making conception more difficult.
If you’re having difficulty conceiving or are fear that you might have difficulty conceiving due to one of these factors, it is important that you visit and consult with a trusted specialist. There are fertility specialists in Davao that you can discuss your concerns with and see what can be done to make preserve or improve your fertility in a way that’s best for you.
