Ovulation Problems
When you are assessing your ability to get pregnant, it is important to take into consideration the possibility of ovulation problems. Irregular ovulation can have a major impact on your chances of getting pregnant.
Ovulation problems can have a major impact on your chances of getting pregnant. In order to get pregnant, sperm must fertilize an egg. Therefore, if problems exist with regard to the release of eggs, fertility problems will occur.
Causes
Abnormal hormonal levels can cause ovulation problems. The following factors can cause hormonal imbalances:
- stress
- diet
- too much or too little exercise
- thyroid problems
- jet lag or traveling between time zones
- pituitary gland malfunction
In addition to having healthy hormone levels, it also important for the ovaries to be physically healthy in order for ovulation to occur regularly. Earlier surgery or radiation treatment could have caused damage to your ovaries, as could have previous or existing infections. Also, it is possible that your body could have exhausted its supply of eggs, either because of menopause or premature ovarian failure.
Being underweight can also stop ovulation. The body may believe there are insufficient resources to nourish a growing embryo; therefore the reproductive cycle is shut down in order to prevent pregnancy, until a healthy weight is once again reached. Being overweight can also prevent egg release.
Diagnosis
In order to verify whether ovulation is irregular, your doctor may ask you to keep a a basal body temperature chart in order to track whether ovulation has indeed taken place.
Blood tests may also be performed in order to check for sex hormones such as progesterone.
Treatment
Your doctor is the best person to advise you on your options if there are physical problems with your ovaries.
Natural fertility treatment options can be used to treat ovulation problems, as can fertility drugs, like Clomiphene (Clomid), Human Chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) or Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin (hMG). Fertility drugs can also be prescribed in the treatment of progesterone problems.
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