If you’re unable to achieve pregnancy even after several attempts, probably the issue may not be with egg or sperm quality. The root cause can be your uterus-related problems. Uterine factor infertility (UFI) happens when a woman either carries uterine abnormalities or doesn’t have a uterus.
As the uterus is crucial to begin and maintain embryo development, its functional or structural abnormalities interfere in conceiving. Understanding the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for uterine-related infertility enables you to make well-informed decisions for a healthy pregnancy.
Common signs and symptoms of uterine-related infertility include:
Your uterus plays a crucial role in conception and pregnancy. If you’ve been trying to conceive without success, these signs could indicate a uterine issue:
- Irregular or missed period cycles – Shows hormonal imbalances or uterine abnormalities.
- Heavy or prolonged bleeding: Indicative of fibroids, polyps, or adenomyosis.
- Acute menstrual cramps: Often closely related to endometriosis or adenomyosis.
- Multiple or recurring miscarriages: Can occur because of a thin uterine lining, fibroids, or uterine scarring.
- Pelvic pain or pressure: Can be due to fibroids, adhesions, or infections.
- Spotting between cycles: This may signal polyps, fibroids, or a hormonal imbalance.
- Painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia): Could be a symptom of endometriosis or fibroids.
- Difficult to get pregnant even with normal ovulation: The uterus might be rejecting implantation.
- Abnormal vaginal discharge: Could indicate an infection affecting uterine health.
- Medical history of uterine infections or surgeries: Adhesions or scar tissues can also affect fertility.
- Unusual shape of the uterus: A septate or divided uterus isn’t ideal for embryo implantation. Scar tissues in the uterine lining also serve as a barrier to prevent healthy pregnancy.
- Fragile lining of the uterus: Too thin uterine lining has poor chances of sustaining embryo implantation.
- Frequent urges to pass urine or constipation: Larger fibroids exert pressure on the surrounding organs, disturbing their functioning.
For proper treatment to get rid of such pain and discomfort, it’s crucial to get to the root cause.
What are the major causes of uterine factors uterine factor infertility UFI?
- Cervical issues: Problems with the cervix like abnormal shape or blockage don’t allow the sperm to reach the uterus and interfere with implantation.
- Uterine fibroids: Benign or non-cancerous outgrowths in the uterus affect the uterus’ shape and at times may even block the fallopian tubes, resulting in pregnancy problems
- Polyps: These are growths on the uterine lining interfering with embryo implantation or contributing to miscarriage.
- Chronic or recurrent infection: Infections like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can cause scarring or damage to the uterus, affecting fertility.
- Hormonal imbalance: Imbalanced hormones like progesterone and estrogen affect the uterus’ ability to support embryo implantation.
- Adenomyosis: Tissues of the innermost lining (endometrium) of the uterus outside the cavity, causing inflammation, pain, and affecting fertility by increasing the size of the uterus and secreting substances which may hinder the conception.
Leaving these underlying causes of uterine factor infertility (UFI) untreated for a long time can be dangerous and may lead to irreparable infertility conditions.
Treatment for (UFI)
Medications to treat hormonal imbalance: Doctors often recommend hormonal therapy to regulate periods and enhance uterus health, especially if you’re dealing with infertility issues. Progesterone thickens the uterine lining, preparing it for implantation, while estrogen supports its growth and prevents scarring. These medications are also a part of fertility treatments such as IVF to support a healthy pregnancy.
Surgical treatments for uterine-related infertility:
If fibroids, polyps or scar tissues affect your uterus, either these are severe or recurring, a female might need to go for a surgical procedure. Surgical removal of fibroids called myomectomy helps in such cases.
Endometrial receptivity enhancement: For women who struggle with implantation problems, treatments like endometrial scratching or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy may boost the uterine lining’s ability to sustain an embryo. These procedures optimize blood flow and promote a thicker, healthier endometrium for implantation.
Assisted Reproductive Techniques: Assisted reproductive options, such as IVF, can help individuals and couples become parents. Surrogacy is an option when the uterus cannot support a pregnancy despite medical interventions. This procedure involves transferring an embryo made from the gametes of the intended parents or a donor to a gestational carrier (surrogate) who has a healthy uterus and bears the pregnancy to term.
For expert consultation to find out the real root cause of your infertility, visit Ferticity IVF & Fertility Clinics. We house a team of highly experienced Fertility specialists and medical staff to smooth and seamless treatment.
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