Healthcare providers consider a couple infertile by the inability to become pregnant after one year of unprotected intercourse if the woman is under 35 or 6 months if the woman is over age 35. If a woman is in a state where she is not able to carry a pregnancy to its full term.
1 in 3 infertile women has problems with the female reproductive system. 1 in 3 infertile men has problems with the male reproductive system. And 1 in 3 couples has a problem that affects both of them or an undetermined issue.
TYPES
There are 2 types of infertility. 1. Primary infertility
- Secondary infertility
Primary infertility refers to a couple who have not become pregnant after having at least one year of sexual intercourse without using birth control methods.
Secondary infertility refers to a couple who have been able to get pregnant at least once but now are unable.
CAUSES
In men
- Low sperm count: less than 15 million
- Abnormal sperm: the shape of the sperm is unusual making it difficult to move and fertilize.
- Low sperm motility: the sperm can’t swim well and cannot reach the egg.
The above problems may arise from
- Medical issues such as diabetes, mumps, cancer treatments and sexually transmitted diseases.
- Obesity, age, overweight
- Mental stress
- Structural problems such as blockage in testicles, or injury to the reproductive organs.
- Unhealthy habits such as excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, steroid use, smoking, and testosterone supplementation can seriously reduce sperm count and motility.
- Exposure chemicals
- Overheated testicles.
In women
To become pregnant, an egg must be released from one of the ovaries and fertilized in the fallopian tube, and attached inside the uterus. Infertility in women happens when there is an ovulation disorder that affects the release of eggs from the ovaries and is the most common cause of infertility in women.
Ovulation disorder can result from
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Premature ovarian failure where the ovaries stop functioning or fail before the age of 40.
- Poor egg quality
- Thyroid problems
- Hyper prolactinoma
- Chronic conditions like AIDS or cancer
- The uterus or fallopian tube abnormalities: this can prevent the egg from moving down to the womb. This abnormality may be due to surgery (pelvic or cervical), endometriosis, submucosal fibroids, or benign tumor in the womb.
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Medical conditions like lupus, poorly controlled diabetes, amenorrhea, and genetic disorder
- Age
- Unhealthy lifestyle
- Exposure to chemicals
TREAMENTS IN AYURVEDA
- Vamana
- Virecana
- Vasthi
- Uttaravasthi
- Rasayana therapy
- Lifestyle modifications
- Yoga and pranayama
- Diet corrections