Struggling to Conceive? One of These 5 Factors Could Be Behind Your Fertility Issues

Infertility in Women

The inability to conceive after at least one year of unprotected intercourse is defined as infertility in women. According to the WHO, 60 to 80 million women around the world experience infertility today.

Surprisingly, cases of infertility in women are steadily increasing year over year in India as well.

This growing issue has reached a point where every woman—whether married or unmarried—must take notice and act to raise awareness and take proactive steps as soon as possible.

“Fortunately, a lot of infertility-related issues can easily be bypassed, alleviated, or treated by equipping women with the correct information about reproductive health,” says Dr Sreevani Kotha Director & HOD at 9M Fertility Clinic in Hyderabad.

In this blog, with her insights, we examine the core of the issue—the risk factors that could lead to infertility in women. Read on!

Female Infertility: One of These 5 Factors Could Be Behind Your Fertility Issues:

Age: As women age, the quality and quantity of their eggs gradually decrease, which is completely natural for every woman. This decline gets steeper after age 35, and this decline in available ovarian reserve negatively impacts a woman’s chances of conception. In short, age at the time of marriage or conception does play a role in the likelihood of successful pregnancy.

“We’re far from reversing aging, but today’s technology can efficiently bypass age-related fertility problems,” says one of the infertility experts in Hyderabad. With assisted reproductive techniques like IVF and oocyte freezing, women can significantly improve their chances of pregnancy, even as they get older.

Hormonal Balance: Unsurprisingly, hormonal imbalance is one of the most common causes of infertility in women we often treat at our fertility clinic in Hyderabad.

“Inherent medical conditions and poor lifestyle habits can skew the balance of hormones in women. This hormonal imbalance can directly disrupt key reproductive processes like ovulation, uterine preparation, and egg development, which can lead to conception issues,” says Dr. Pratyusha Gunreddy, Fertility Consultant at 9M Fertility.

PCOS, thyroid problems, abnormal prolactin levels, eating disorders, and certain medications can skew the hormonal balance in women. In a few cases, even a stressful everyday routine can trigger hormonal imbalances that cause infertility.

Fortunately, the right combination of healthy lifestyle choices, such as regular exercise, proper nutrition, and relevant medications, can help improve hormonal balance. 

Anatomical or Gynecological Problems:

Though not as common as hormonal imbalance, gynecological issues, and unknown structural abnormalities in women are other reasons for fertility issues in women.

“The challenge with these issues is that many women aren’t aware of them, as they often don’t show symptoms. In some cases, only an infertility diagnosis could have shed light on these underlying problems.” says Dr. Manorama Kandepi, Fertility Consultant at 9M Fertility.

Anatomical issues that can affect pregnancy chances include structural abnormalities like a differently shaped uterus, Fallopian tube defects, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory diseases. Once diagnosed by a gynecologist, each problem can be treated with a suitable combination of medications.

Only in rare cases can surgery be used to improve the chances of conception. In unavoidable cases, women can also leverage ART procedures like IVF Treatment to boost their chances of pregnancy further.

Lifestyle Factors:

The single most common cause of delayed pregnancy for many women can often be linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices.

A sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and weight issues, along with unhealthy habits like smoking and alcohol consumption, can all impact the quality and quantity of ovarian reserves.

Infertility caused by these factors can be easily reversed by making the right lifestyle changes consistently. “Regular exercise for weight management, a balanced diet, and an optimal sleep routine are three pillars of a healthy lifestyle that can significantly improve fertility in women,” says Dr Manorama.

Medical History:

Not all causes of infertility are immediately known or have apparent symptoms. “Because some underlying conditions stay dormant, most women don’t even realize they have a problem until they try to get pregnant,” says Dr. Manorama

For example, certain medications can impact fertility, as can untreated sexually transmitted diseases. Many factors could affect a woman’s chances of pregnancy, and these can only be identified through a thorough review of her medical history.

That said, female fertility isn’t as simple as it may seem. Any of the factors mentioned above could contribute to conception problems or be a combination of several factors. Fortunately, nearly every situation can be treated to improve a woman’s chances of pregnancy if diagnosed and addressed early.

If you’re actively planning for pregnancy but haven’t been successful, the easiest thing you can do to improve your chances is to consult a fertility expert as soon as possible.

If you live in and around Hyderabad and are looking for the right fertility clinic, our team of fertility experts at 9M Fertility is always available to help.

Our certified fertility specialist at 9M Fertility can diagnose the root cause of your fertility issues and develop a personalized plan to help you overcome those challenges and improve your chances of conception. You can find us here.