WAYS OF PREVENTING INFERTILITY – INFO FROM A DENVER FERTILITY CLINIC

The growing population may be a cause for concern in some countries, but there are millions of infertile couples across the world struggling to have a baby. It’s not just women who have been facing the problem of infertility. Modern day lifestyle has adversely impacted the fertility of men as well. Infertility is increasingly becoming a public health concern and one of the biggest causes of family feuds and divorce.

If you are in your mid-20s, and believe that infertility is something you should not worry about, consider the research.  According to CDC’s survey report on family growth, the men and women in the age group of 15 to 44 years are increasingly experiencing infertility related problems.

The report says that almost 7 percent of the women in the age group of 15 to 24 have reported physical difficulties in getting pregnant during 2006 to 2010, and 13 percent of all women in the 25 to 44 age group have reported fertility related problems.

Causes of Infertility

Infertility can affect people from all walks of life, irrespective of their age, gender, and marital status. The major causes of infertility among men and women can be summarized as follows:

• Use of tobacco – In any form, tobacco use is one of the major causes of infertility among men as well as women. Smoking decreases the probability of conception in women and increases the risk of miscarriage. The effect of smoking is more evident in women than men. In men smoking leads to drop in sperm count and volume of ejaculation.
• Obesity – Along with other health-related problems, such as diabetes, obesity can significantly increase the risk of infertility among men and women. In men, obesity increases the risk of erectile dysfunction, and in women, obesity causes menstrual and ovulatory dysfunction infertility.
• Environmental exposures – This is another important cause of infertility. It has been found that in industrialized countries people are increasingly reporting a decline in sperm quality due to the exposure to harmful chemicals.
• Side effects to treatments – Some forms of infertility result from the treatment of diseases such as cancer. The harmful effects of radiation and chemotherapy on the fertility of the patient are known worldwide. The patient undergoing cancer treatment should always consult their doctor for the reproductive consequences of treatment.
• Socioeconomics – The infertility that results from economic disparity mostly impacts people from the low strata of the society. Lack of knowledge and deficits in economic resources result in delay in access to diagnosis and treatment. The infertility among higher-income groups and professional largely results from delay in marriage and sedentary life style.

Measures to Prevent Infertility

Infertility may be a cause of worry for many couples but there are certain preventive measures that can be adopted by the couples to keep the infertility related problems at bay. These include:

• Quit smoking and avoid a sedentary lifestyle: Preventing teenagers from smoking and creating awareness about the infertility related harmful effects of smoking can significantly reduce chances of infertility. An active lifestyle helps in maintaining the quality of sperm in men and ovaries in women.

• Early diagnosis and treatment: Although, in some cases it is hard to identify the symptoms of infertility, regular checkups and awareness can help you keep infertility related problems at bay.

• Healthy diet: Foods rich in folic acid can significantly improve fertility in men, as well as women. Oranges, bananas, beetroot, broccoli, and cabbage are some of the fruits and vegetables that are rich in folic acid. If you like non-vegetarian food, chicken giblets, liver, and egg yolk are high in folic acid.

• Maintain ideal body weight: Don’t let excess weight affect your fertility. Exercise regularly and keep obesity at bay. But beware, never over exercise, as it may adversely impact your fertility.