The most common causes of infertility in women

A woman is considered to be infertile when she isn’t able to get pregnant after one year of trying. Those over 35, however, are deemed to be infertile once they’ve been trying to get pregnant for at least six months and have had no success.

Since being pregnant requires a lot of steps, not all women go through the process without encountering problems.

These are the most common causes of infertility in women and how they can be treated:

Endometriosis

This condition occurs when the endometrial tissue that is usually found in the uterine lining grows outside the uterus. Some women with endometriosis show no symptoms at all, while others experience pain during their menstrual cycle or while having intercourse. Treatment for this condition includes surgery to get rid of abnormal tissue or blocked tubes and using fertility drugs.

Ovulation issues

Any hormonal condition that prevents a mature egg from developing in the ovaries is considered to an ovulation problem. Signs of ovulation problems include absent or infrequent periods and abnormal bleeding. Fertility drugs or IVF are possible solutions for those with ovulation problems.

Not enough eggs

Generally, the quality and the number of eggs a woman’s body produces declines with age. Unfortunately, there are no obvious signs or symptoms when this is the reason a woman has difficulty conceiving.

Tubal factors

When a woman has blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, her partner’s sperm will find it difficult to meet the egg. The main causes of damaged fallopian tubes are pelvic inflammatory disease, STDs and a past sterilization surgery.

Again, there are no visible signs or symptoms for this condition but when discovered, surgery to open the tubes are an option for women.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome

This happens when small follicles in a woman’s ovaries don’t develop into mature follicles that release eggs. Signs of Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) include irregular periods, acne and excessive hair growth. Diet modifications and exercise can help women with PCOS, but fertility drugs and IVF are options too.

In some cases there is no clear explanation as to why a woman has fertility problems. Some say that being either overweight or underweight and excessive exercise may be contributing factors.