The glance of Anovulation causing Infertility
Anovulation is the absence of ovulation (the release of egg). This causes infertility. Anovulation leads to the hormonal imbalance that causes a woman to ovulate and might be the reason for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Irregular menstruation indicates anovulation, and we have a plethora of diagnostic tools to determine the cause of irregular cycles.
Based on the severity and cause, the treatment for anovulation includes medication, lifestyle
What does anovulation mean?
Women carry limited number of eggs and with the progressing reproductive years, the eggs lacks in quality and number. This decreases the chances of having baby by 3%-5% after the age of 30. The reduction in fertility is found to extend after the age of 40.
How does ovulation work?
Reasons of anovulation
A few common causes of anovulation are
- Obesity: The high body mass index causes a chemical imbalance to happen when there is an excess of androgens present like testosterone.
- Stress: Anxiety or excessive stress could cause LH, GnRH and FSH to become imbalanced.
- Excessive exercise or Low body weight: A low Body Mass Index or intense physical exercise negatively impacts the woman’s pituitary gland. This causes the pituitary gland not to produce enough LH and FSH.
- Abnormalities of prolactin or TSH: Prolactin and Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) are two hormones released by the brain. Imbalances in either one could interfere with ovulation.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common disorder affecting 1 in 10 women of childbearing age in the United States and this results in anovulation.
This is considered the common hormonal imbalance for women of reproductive age. PCOS makes the woman’s body produce an excess of male hormones like testosterone.
With the high levels of androgens (male hormones), the ovaries’ follicles containing the eggs remain small. This syndrome can be marked by small painless cysts on the ovaries. Other symptoms include hirsutism, acne or excessive hair growth, around the upper lip and chin.
The First and last periods: Anovulation and abnormal bleeding happen when a girl first begins her menstruation. It happens during perimenopause, when a woman is in her mid-40s and approaches menopause. During these transitional periods, anovulatory cycles cause hormonal imbalances.
To diagnose anovulation
The defining feature to diagnose anovulation is simply the absence of regular menstruation. Other tests can be performed during the evaluation.
- The testing of blood progesterone levels.
- To test blood thyroid and prolactin levels.
- The ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs.
Other tests can also be recommended, like testing the uterus lining or blood tests that depend on the woman’s evaluation and history.
To identify ovulation
When a woman menstruates on a regular schedule with the accompanying symptoms of mood change, bloating or breast tenderness then she is ovulating.
Some of the ovulation predictor kits would identify the LH spike occurring with the ovulation. Though not commonly used, basal body temperature charting (daily testing the body temperature to identify the risk associated with ovulation) is another option for identifying ovulation. A physician can check for ovulation by testing the serum progesterone levels of the specific person.
