Foods for endometriosis and infertility.
What is infertility?
According to the world health organization, it is a problem of men’s and female reproductive systems caused by the failure of unprotected sex after 12 months. This 12 months period is diagnosed by 15% of couples attempting to conceive. Its trouble in getting pregnant and its symptoms start occurring after 1 year of sexual intercourse. One of its major causes is having multiple miscarriages.
It’s an important part about the rights of individuals to discuss the problems of infertility. So, it should be addressed normally. People with frequent experiences of depression, anxiety, social stigma, divorce, emotional stress, and low self-esteem suffer mostly from this problem. Some people feel isolated and do not get any proper platform to discuss their matter regarding infertility because they have to face a lot of pressure from family and society. So they try to attempt unprotected sex for having a child at an early age which can be harmful to them.
Nowadays, it’s a very common problem in both men and women. But it’s a bitter reality, most people often thought that it’s only a women’s fault for not getting pregnant earlier. Men have also to face this problem. From 15 to 44 years of women, almost 6 % of the total, suffer from infertility after one year of marriage. And the same-aged women (15 to 44 years) face difficulty in pregnancy and carrying a pregnancy.
Types of infertility:
There are probably two types of infertility:
- Primary
- Secondary
1- Primary fertility occurs mostly when a person cannot achieve the pregnancy throughout 12 months.
2- Secondary fertility occurs when at least one prior pregnancy has been achieved.
How does it affect people?
First of all, infertility is not a disease. It’s a common problem in both genders. It affects millions of people worldwide. The estimated amount of infertile people falls between 48 million couples and 186 million individuals face infertility globally. But its treatments and medications can affect people’s lives. This problem can lead you to fall into different diseases like:
- Guilt
- Anxiety
- Hopelessness
- Frustrations
And the most important one is the “emotional and psychological disorders”. Almost 25-60% of people got affected by these diseases going through from this phase. One more thing to remember is that society plays a vital role in this consequence. Social reactions of society are the biggest concern to infertile people. Your mental health is also affected by this a lot. In research, it has been shown that most people try suicidal attempts to avoid the pressure from family and society.
Mostly it impacts couples in many ways like:
- Loss of their self-esteem (both men and women)
- Have to face family stability
- Expectations of pregnancy and birth got down
- Loss of desires to become parents or grandparents,
- Don’t able to pass on family genetics
- And loss of opportunity to contribute to the next generation.
How does age affect fertility?
Women’s reproductive system is at peak during their time period of 21 to 30. This is the golden age for women to have a baby. Women have the great ability to produce their offspring in this duration. After this duration, women’s fertility starts to get affected and the chance of pregnancy became low to lower. So, that is why it is to be said that after the age of 30, women’s ability of fertilization starts to decline. By the age of 45, the fertility line has been declined so much. It is the deadline of getting pregnant because at this stage you become infertile. You don’t have the ability to produce your offspring and you lose the chance to pass your genetics to the next generations. At the age of 45, your chances to get pregnant is 15%.
What problems do people have with infertility?
In most cases, people even don’t know about the symptoms of infertility and don’t aware of these harmful aspects before any sexual intercourse.
There is a list of some important problems that cause infertility in women only:
- Underweight
- Mental health
- Environmental elements/factors
- Endometriosis
- Diseases like asthma and hypertension
- Abnormal shape of the uterus
- Menopauses
- PCOS (polycystic ovaries syndrome)
- Pelvic surgeries and infections
And this is the list of problems that can be the reasons for their infertility:
- Excessive usage of alcoholic drinks
- Smoking
- Cystic fibrosis
- Having infected prostate
- Blockage in your testicles
- Premature ejaculation
- Having enlarged veins in your testes
Both genders (men and women) are at risk of infertility problems because they might take unhealthy products or might have the high usage of alcoholic drinks and smoking that can cause infertility in both. Social problems can also affect your infertility. One of the major problems of infertility is having irregular periods and being overweight. These two can lead you to skip ovulation that is the most important factor in infertility. If you don’t ovulate then it’s the biggest problem and symptom of infertility. If you are extremely overweight, then it’s impossible for you to get pregnant because your reproductive system shuts completely.
Diseases which cause infertility in WOMEN:
- Menopause
- Menstrual cycle
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Unbalanced functioning of pituitary glands
- FHA (functional hypothalamic amenorrhea)
- POI (premature ovarian insufficiency)
- Diminishing of reserve ovaries
The main thing for getting pregnant is women’s ovulation, if a woman doesn’t ovulate it means she is infertile. Here are some potential causes of ovulation:
Menopause:
Menopause means a woman doesn’t have her periods for at least one year. You can say this as an age-appropriate decline in women’s ovaries that mostly happens at the age of 50. In this condition, women may experiences difficulty in sleeping, have mood swings, hot flashes, and other symptoms as well.
Menstrual cycle:
Its duration varies according to individuals and over time. Menstrual cycle, mostly 28 days long. The average time of periods occurs every 24 to 32 days. It reflects women’s ovulation if a woman has irregular periods then it means she didn’t ovulate. Disturbances in women’s ovaries are caused by many conditions which can be diagnosed and treated properly by experts.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:
It is a condition in which women are characterized by her excessive hair growth, acne problem, irregular periods, and also irregular ovulation. Abbreviated as PCOS. It is chronically the abnormal disorder of elevated androgen levels. If a woman has enlarged ovaries then she is definitely an infertile woman. It is also one of the major sources which can be the reason for infertility in women. One cause of PCOS is obesity also, which means a person is above his normal weight. PCOS also increased the level of diabetes, endometrial cancer, heart diseases, and high blood pressure.
Unbalanced functioning of pituitary glands:
Pituitary glands basically produce hormones in the brain which are used to maintain normal ovarian function in women. If these hormones started their production at the highest level then it means a woman is not able to ovulate. It is also known as a pituitary gland tumor. Failed ovaries are generally occurred due to the absence of follicular tissues. These glands play an important role in regulating biological functions. If these hormones are disturbed due to any major cause, it might be the reason for infertility.
FHA (functional hypothalamic amenorrhea):
FHA means functional hypothalamic amenorrhea is a term that is basically based upon these findings of amenorrhea that can be causes infertility. It commonly occurs when a woman does excessive exercise. Sometimes FHA can be associated with an over-eating disorder known as anorexia. Weight loss, depression, and stress are also the main reasons for functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.
POI (premature ovarian insufficiency):
It is known as premature failure of the ovaries. It normally occurs in women aged between 35 to 40. In these women, the functioning of ovaries stopped. If you suffer from this disease, then it means your ovaries stop the production of Estrogen Hormone. Almost 5 to 10% of women experience this POI (premature ovarian insufficiency).
Diminishing of reserve ovaries:
Diminishing of reserve ovaries is a condition in which normal ovaries lose their reproductive potential. It can be said as compromising fertility. The average amount of people who suffers from diminishing reserve ovaries (DOR) is 10 to 30%. Normally the women in their early 30s experience this disease. It can be diagnosed with a blood test for fragile X syndrome, it’s an inherited syndrome that causes early ovarian failure. This is also responsible for autism and intellectual disability.
Diseases which cause infertility in MEN:
- Hormonal disorders
- Enlarged testicular and ejaculatory function
- Genetic disorders
Infertility is a common problem in Men also. It can be caused by many reasons like the major one is Semen analysis. In this analysis, the numbers of sperm, their shapes, and their movement can be assessed by the experts.
Enlarged testicular and ejaculatory function:
A common cause of these problems includes excessive usage of alcoholic, smoking, usage of steroids and drugs. These unhealthy habits can cause infertility in men. Cancer treatments can also be harmful to men’s fertility. Varicoceles, a common condition in which the veins in men’s testicles are beginning to large and might be the reason for overheating, which is also the biggest cause of infertility in Men.
Genetic disorders:
Genetic disorders are the main reason for infertility because due to genetic orders a man is not able to produce enough amount of sperms and also a less amount of sperms which is not enough for fertilization. And this results in infertility.
Hormonal disorders:
Improper functioning of pituitary glands and hypothalamus can cause infertility in Men. Pituitary tumors are very harmful to Men’s testicles which may result in almost no or low sperm production.
Treatments of infertility in women:
Treatments of infertility can depend on many factors. Like surgical options are there for you, your personal preferences matter a lot, your and your partner’s age is also an important thing, causes of infertility, and the duration of your infertility. There are some medicines that are prescribed by the experts for women’s infertility.
Fertility drugs play a very important role. You can say this as it is the main treatment for those women who experienced infertility. These drugs generally work like natural hormones. You can stimulate ovulation with fertility drugs. Some drugs like:
Gonadotropins (this medicine is used as a trigger at the time of ovulation but this contains the higher risk of multiple pregnancies and also having a premature delivery which is not safe for everybody).
Bromocriptine (This can be used when your pituitary glands work abnormally).
Metformin (when a woman is diagnosed with PCOS then this drug can be helpful to improve your insulin resistance which can lead you to improve your ovulation).
Clomiphene citrate (it is used for ovulation stimulation which is caused by pituitary glands. It works as a stimulator which can be helpful for the growth of ovarian follicle that contains an egg).
Letrozole (this cannot be used for ovulation induction. However this is used for the proper medication on very early pregnancy which is not known yet).
Treatments of infertility in men:
There are also some treatments available for Men’s infertility like:
ART (assisted reproductive technology) (this treatment can be beneficial for the ejaculation of sperms. If you didn’t ejaculate normally then you have to take help from assisted reproductive technologies. This can be used for Vitro fertilization in which sperms are inserted into the female genital tract).
Medications for hormones (if you take medicines regularly then it would be a help to improve your testicle’s functions and the production of sperms).
Treatments for infections (You have to take the proper medicines for your infections. This can cure your reproductive tract, but in some cases, it doesn’t restore fertility fully).
Surgery (surgeries can be helpful in the blockage of sperms. It is also beneficial for the restoration of sperms. The most important benefit of surgery is that it repairs the Varicoceles which increases the chances of pregnancy).
Changing in lifestyle (improving in the timing of intercourse would definitely help in increasing the chances of pregnancy).
Retrieval of sperms (this can be used when there is a problem in the ejaculation of sperms, but if you take the proper treatment of it your chances of fertility increase).
Related foods we can have to be fertile:
It’s really important to remember that foods cannot solve the problem of blockage of fallopian tubes, or sperm production. Foods are only useful to remain you healthy. If you are healthy then there are chances to get rid of infertility. Changes in your diet won’t remove the blockages in your fallopian tubes. A good, balanced and nutritious diet helps you to remain your overall health and is also beneficial for your reproductive health.
- There are some important foods for endometriosis and infertility listed down:
- Citrus fruits
- Sunflower seeds
- Full-fat dairy products
- Asparagus
- Pomegranate’s seeds
- Egg yolks
- Pineapple
- Add cinnamon to your diet
- Protein
- Take your essential vitamins
- Cooked tomatoes
Citrus fruits:
If you add citrus fruits to your daily diet routine then it will help to improve your semen and egg health. These citrus fruits like grapefruit, oranges, and lime, and many others are rich in vitamin C. you can add oranges slices into your daily juice drinks and also add in your fresh salads. But there is one thing to be noted that in some cases you cannot eat as many as you want because if you take any medications from your health care doctor when you should take advice from them before eating citrus fruits. These fruits are counted in best foods for endometriosis and infertility.
Sunflower seeds:
Sunflower seeds are a great source of nutrients. It will help to boost your sperm movement and sperm health. There is also selenium and folate present in sunflower seeds and also a rich amount of omega-3 fatty acids that are very resourceful to improve your reproductive tract. You can eat sunflower seeds by roasting them. You can add some seeds to your smoothies and also can sprinkle them onto your salads. These seeds are counted in best foods for endometriosis and infertility.
Full-fat dairy products:
Dairy products are a great source of saturated fats that are really best for fertility and pregnancy if you can tolerate these products then they became very beneficial for you. These products have vitamin A, K2, E, and D. there is research at Harvard University that shows that if a woman eats full-fat dairy products has experienced less ovulation problem in comparison to those who didn’t take enough amount of full-fat dairy products.
Asparagus:
It is a superfood with all vitamins and nutrients. It has a low amount of calories which can be helpful to give a boost to your fertility. But you have to take fresh asparaguses if you want to get the maximum benefits of it. You can roast it or grill it, it’s totally up to you to add those asparaguses in your daily routine.
Pomegranate’s seeds:
It’s an almost long-term relationship between fertility and pomegranate. According to science, the seeds of pomegranates have a high amount of anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants help to improve your sperm quality. In a study of 2014, almost 70 adult men faced this problem but after consuming pomegranate seeds in their daily life, their sperm quality increased 62%. You can use pomegranate seeds as a topping and in quinoa bowls.
Egg yolks:
Egg yolks supply the most amount of iron, calcium, folate, and vitamin B12. It important point is that it gives you lean protein which is good for both men and women for their fertility. Eggs have choline which is beneficial at the time of birth. It reduces the risks of birth defects. However, this point has not discussed the benefit of egg yolks. You can consume eggs in many ways like you can be boiled them, fried them, used them as scrambling, and also enjoy the whole egg.
Pineapple:
If you try to conceive, then your first and foremost duty is to consume pineapples. A low amount of vitamin C in your body can lead you to PCOS polycystic ovarian syndrome. Pineapples have an anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning effect that improves your immune system also. Anti-inflammatory products have encouraged your body to fight against infertility. It satisfies your tooth. So whenever you eat pineapple you must choose it in its canned form. Pineapple is very good for endometriosis and infertility.
Add cinnamon to your diet:
You can add cinnamon supplements and also add their raw form to get the maximum benefit of it. It helps you with your irregular periods and also if you have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Because it is a common cause of infertility in women. If you want regular ovulation then it’s the best way to choose cinnamon as a daily diet product. If you take the oatmeal breakfast then you can sprinkle cinnamon in your oatmeal breakfast. This is one of the best spices you can take but before taking it, you must have to take a consultation from your health care doctor.
Protein:
Meat is also the best source of protein but you can take more amount of protein from fish. Iron, zinc, and all the important nutrients that you need in your daily life are all the building blocks for your fertility and healthy pregnancy.
Essential vitamins:
To get rid of infertility, the first step in this duration is to take all the multi-vitamins that can be taken as an essential diet daily. A proper amount of folic acid and all multi-vitamins can boost your reproductive tract and increase the chance of fertility and pregnancy.
Cooked tomatoes:
Tomatoes are high in lycopene. It’s a full package of powerful anti-oxidants which improve fertility in men. But for this purpose, you have to take cooked tomatoes because one cup contains the twice amount of lycopene.
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