Among women over the age of 35, one in three experience difficulties conceiving. Since then until now, fertility problems are on the rise as many couples are struggling a lot to solve this matter. 

Being diagnosed with infertility is extremely distressing and it may leave you feeling confused and hopeless. In this article, we will discuss about the common causes and factors why getting pregnant is difficult and the things that may be compromising your fertility.

Common Causes and Factors of Infertility

To help women who are desperate to become pregnant and have children, we gathered some useful information about the potential causes why some women are having infertility problems.

1. Your age may appear to be a cause if you’re in your late 20s to 40s may potentially decline your childbearing rate. 

   Nowadays, many couples are getting married later in life that couples in the earlier generations. Women are born with all the eggs they’re ever going to produce; and over time, these eggs lose their quality and eventually the supply runs out. Research studies have shown that when a woman enters in her late twenties, mid-thirties, until 40, her fertility starts to decline.

2. You have problems with body weight such as being overweight or underweight.

   There are many reports documented that overweight and obese women have more reproductive problems than women in the normal weight range. Being overweight impairs ovulation, increases the risk of a miscarriage, and increases the risk of congenital defects. It also makes insulin resistance worse, and as you’re about to learn, insulin resistance, plays a major part in infertility. If your body mass index is over 30, your fertility is definitely compromised. If your BMI is 28 or higher, weight is probably playing a role in your infertility. On the other hand, being underweight can be a problem because you need at least 17 to 22 percent body fat to ovulate normally. Women who are deprived of proper nutrition tend to have irregular menstrual periods or no periods. 

3.  You may have various reproductive problems such as pelvic infections, PCOS, endometriosis, uterine fibroid, and cysts.
   Some pelvic infections that you may have are sexually transmitted disease (STD), chlamydia, gonorrhea, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Chlamydia have symptoms that typically appear within three weeks of infection and may include genital discharge or bleeding, fever, genital itching, and abdominal pain.

   Other possible causes of pelvic infections are gynecological surgery, insertion, or removal of intrauterine contraception device (IUD), and abortion. The risk of infertility accelerates with each infection and women who have this case are 10 times more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus.

4. You have hormonal problems
   If you experience sudden weight gain or loss, difficulty sleeping, sensitivity to cold and heat, very dry skin or skin rashes, depression, and many more, maybe you’re having hormonal problems. This condition occurs when there is an overload or sudden decrease of the amount of a hormone in the bloodstream. In turn, this can cause side effects throughout the body. 

   For women, there are also several medical conditions that cause irregular hormonal imbalances like  polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. This also affects the fertility rate which decreases the chance of the woman to become pregnant.
   

5. You experienced repeated miscarriage
   If you have recurrent miscarriages or habitual pregnancy loss, this may also affect your fertility. There may be an underlying cause such as a genetic defect. Other causes include an abnormally shaped uterus, uterine fibroid, and a scar tissue in the uterus that may hinder implantation or growth of the fetus.
6. You’re having a premature menopause

   The common age of having a menopause for women starts at 40. But if you are starting to experience symptoms such as hot flashes, emotional problems, vaginal dryness, and decreased sex drive way earlier than the standard age, you’re having a condition called premature menopause. Obviously, having this condition will make you unable to become pregnant.
   

7. You’re being exposed to chemicals
   When you’re exposed to many different chemicals, this can lead you to have negative effects on your hormones. As we discussed earlier, having hormonal changes is connected to several adverse health outcomes such as breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infertility. 
   
8. You’re stressed and having over-fatigue 

  Being stressed and having over-fatigue and burnout can make your overall         health suffer. This will degrade the condition of your body system and it may    affect your ability to conceive and bear a child. 

9. Your immune system plays an imperative role in your ability to conceive. 

Autoimmune disorders result from a problem with your immune system. Having an autoimmunity means that the immune system goes amok and starts attacking non-foreign body parts, tissues, and organs. It causes your entire body to be inflamed and stressed. A body attacking its own tissues is not a hospitable environment for fertility or pregnancy to thrive in. The immune system of a woman with autoimmunity can also attack her ovaries and cause premature ovarian aging and/or PCOS.

10. Your diet affects your reproductive health

Of course, what you eat or consume is definitely important when you want to become pregnant. If you always eat processed and junk foods, it will not help you to conceive well. Keep in mind that eating healthy is the best way to become pregnant easily. 

SUMMARY

Therefore, for you to plan an easy and healthy pregnancy, seek for medical assistance according to your doctor or ob-gyn to know more how to increase your fertility rate. Also, have your partner to be checked as well concerning his health. Remember to maintain a balanced lifestyle and diet so that you are able to become pregnant if you take care consciously about your health and well-being.