Sometimes the cause of infertility isn’t known and research has shown that both men and women suffer from problems known to cause infertility, with sometimes multiple factors playing a part in the cause. There are numerous reasons the woman can be infertile such as hormone imbalances, problems with the fallopian tubes, endometriosis and problems with the reproductive organs.

In men the cause of infertility is due to the number of sperm they produce or blocked spermatic cords. The infertility could be caused by any one of these reasons or by a mixture of them, with sometimes the reason being unclear.

Infertility problems in the woman

Ovulation problems

In order for the release and growth of an egg to take place a balance must be struck between the oestrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and the luteinising hormones. When one or more of these becomes imbalanced then ovulation disorders can occur these disorders are the number one reason for infertility in a woman.

Damage to the fallopian tubes

Fertilization of the egg takes place in the fallopian tubes and occasionally there can be either a full or partial blockage of the fallopian tubes this will then prevent fertilization from being successful. The fallopian tubes can also become damaged due to bacterial infection, some sexually transmitted diseases and complications which can arise from surgery.

Uterus and cervical disorders

Fibroids or polyps which are benign growths can grow on the uterus walls, they can them interfere with the embryo successfully attaching to the wall of the uterus. Sometimes the shape and texture of the cervix mucus can change this will then make it very hard for the sperm to successfully penetrate the egg.

Endometriosis

This is a condition where the lining of the uterus forms outside of the reproductive system; this can then block the fallopian tubes and cause problems with conception.

Polycystic ovaries

The woman’s ovaries can contain lots of small cysts which will make the ovary larger than normal, women suffering from this condition might have trouble with their periods and may not ovulate resulting in infertility.

Ovarian failure

This problem is associated with medical treatments for problems such as ovarian tumours. Ovarian failure is often the result of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for pelvic for cancer in other parts of the body.

Age

Age often plays a critical role in infertility as the reproductive function declines from the age of 35 onwards; woman can only produce a certain amount of eggs unlike the man who can produce unlimited sperm. The older a woman gets the less eggs she has left and the quality of the eggs also declines the older the woman gets older. Aging can also have an affect on the reproductive organs and the increase of miscarriage also gets higher.

Fibroids are a condition in which growths are found in the women’s reproductive system; while many women will not ever know they are there some women will experience symptoms ranging from heavy bleeding and pain to infertility problems and incontinence.

What exactly are fibroids?

Fibroids are growths or benign tumours that grow in the reproductive system, more commonly the womb; they are made up of muscle fibre and range in size from that of a pea to as big as a water melon. Experts think that around 30 to 50% of all women will suffer from this condition at some time in their lives though the condition is seen more in women around the age of 30 and very rarely in women under the age of 20.

What causes fibroids?

The exact cause of fibroids is unknown though oestrogen does seem to have some influence on them, recent studies have also shown that fibroids appear in black women more than they do in white but the reason for this is unknown. They also appear in women who are overweight more than women of correct weight for their height.

The different types of fibroids

Fibroids are generally categorised by where they are actually growing in the womb and these types are:

• Intramural – the fibroids in this category grow in the wall of the womb and these are the most common type of fibroid.
• Subserous – these are located in the outer layer of the womb and are sometimes found to grow on stalks, this type of fibroid can grow to be very large.
• Submucous – these develop in the muscles underneath the lining of the womb, they can also grow into the womb and grow on stalks, if they grow long enough they can even reach through the cervix.
• Cervical – these grow in the neck of the womb and are the most difficult ones to remove.

How you can prevent fibroids

As doctors don’t really know what causes fibroids in the first place it is difficult to say for sure how you can prevent them but studies have suggested that there are some things you could do which might help to prevent them, these are:

• Keep to the correct weight for your height.
• Eat plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruit, avoiding red meat if possible, a recent study in Italy showed that women who didn’t eat a lot of meat but ate lots of fruit and vegetables were less likely to develop fibroids.