Infertility in Men and Women

Infertility is caused by many various factors and can affect both men and women. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 women struggle with infertility, and about 1 in 10 men. This issue has become more common in the last two decades and seems to be increasing with each year. Being educated on why these issues occur and how we can prevent them is really important for those who want to have a family now and especially if they’re planning for the future. Here are some of the reasons for infertility among men and women and some tips and tricks to keep you healthy and able to procreate as best as possible. 

Common Causes of Infertility in Women: 

• Age: As women age, their ability to ovulate or maintain a viable pregnancy declines. Advanced maternal age can impact fertility odds and are often determined by genetics.  
• Ovulation Disorders: This is the most common cause of infertility. Many women have irregular or absent ovulation and aren’t even aware of it. Certain conditions can cause this, such as PCOS, although anovulation can be caused by stress and other factors as well.  

• Tubal Factors: Damaged and blocked fallopian tubes can also prevent the egg from fully dropping, meaning that it may never meet the sperm. This can be due to scar tissue, fluid retention or a genetic structural issue that can even be bilateral.  
• Endometriosis: This can cause inflammation and scarring due to the tissue growth outside the uterus. It can ultimately impact the lining of the endometrium as well as the fallopian tubes.  
• Hormonal Imbalance: 80% of women are impacted by hormone imbalances!! That’s not to say that it causes infertility every time, but it can impact your menstrual cycle, thyroid, progesterone levels, etc. It’s important to have balanced and regulated hormones before even trying to get pregnant. 
• Lifestyle: Stress, increased weight, smoking, and alcohol consumption can all negatively impact fertility and can cause difficulty in fertility as well as pregnancy retention.  

What Can I Do? 

• The best thing to do is just not age, have no stress, and stay balanced!! Yeah right! Not possible.  
• What we typically tell patients is to relax and focus on small incremental changes that will lead to long-term lifestyle changes. Minimize your stress by incorporating yoga or meditation. Stay active and walk throughout the week. Get acupuncture to balance hormones and promote ovulation and talk to your physician about supplements to promote health and wellness in the body. Start paying attention to your cycle. It will tell you more about your body than you ever knew. Supplements such as folic acid, Vitamin D, B Vitamins, and Omega fatty acids are all really important for women’s health, particularly with fertility. 

Common Causes of Infertility in Men:  

• Sperm Disorders: Low sperm count, poor motility, and poor morphology can all impact male fertility and are usually the biggest reason men may struggle with infertility. 
• Varicocele: The enlargement of veins within the scrotum is known to increase the temperature of the testicles and often can impair sperm production. 

• Ejaculation Disorders: Some conditions, where sperm enters the bladder instead of being expelled can also cause issues with fertility. 
• Testicular Factors:  Injury to the testicles and infections, as well as genetics, will come into play with the health of sperm production. 
• Hormonal Imbalance: Low testosterone can impact fertility as well and can often impact other reproductive functions needed for quality fertilization.  
• Lifestyle: Similarly, to women, an increase in weight, stress, smoking, and alcohol consumption can all impact fertility, specifically the quality of sperm. 
• Environmental Factors: This seems to impact men more than women, but exposure to radiation, toxins, and certain medications can harm sperm quality and production as well.  

What Can I Do? 

• Since age isn’t really a factor for men like it is for women, the most important thing you can do is maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staying active and fit, eating healthy, well-balanced foods, and being aware of your body are all important. Supplements like Zinc, Folate, Co-Q 10, and Vitamin D are all important for fertility and men’s health and are often all found in a daily multivitamin.  

Typically with infertility, it’s due to a combination of factors and even both partners that leads to difficulty conceiving. Some of the supplements we recommend to our patients are located on our website under the shop page. It’s important to remember that every person and patient is different and unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all fertility treatment. For more personalized treatments or options, please call your healthcare professional and discuss your health and fertility goals. A specialist will be able to determine any underlying causes or issues that may be prevented or easily treated before having to go through more serious fertility intervention.