When Should You See a Fertility Specialist?

• 26 Aug, 2021
• IVF and Infertility
• infertility
• Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Nishi Singh
• Author: Prime IVF Centre

Infertility is a prevalent issue that caters equally to men and women. Around ten to fifteen percent of couples in India are going through this inconvenience. Facts say that 25% of infertile couples have multiple factors that lead to their condition. There are even looming misconceptions that infertility is an inability and a disease of the reproductive system. Although the failed trails are disheartening, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Fertility specialists in India advise young couples to try naturally for a year before jumping to a conclusion. Infertility is affecting couples from all across the globe, and with the rise in number, there are various options to treat infertility. People often raise the question of when to see a fertility specialist. If you are wondering how to know the time to visit a fertility specialist, this article is the answer. Read further to know when is the right time to see a fertility specialist.

Table of Contents

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye

1. You are having Trouble in Conceiving

2. You are over 40

3. Have a Thyroid Condition

4. Have any medical condition or infection

5. Irregular or Painful Periods

6. You’ve had Multiple Miscarriages

7. What to expect when you see a fertility specialist

Takeaway

1. You are having trouble conceiving

Planning a pregnancy can be full of multiple bad news until the final good news. Today a large number of couples are facing problems in getting pregnant. And multiple factors cater to the rising problem of infertility. There are chances that one partner is causing the issue. However, in maximum cases, the chances are 50-50. One mitigating factor is enough to cause infertility in couples. In the past few years, the number of infertility cases has increased. Couples are consulting experts once they have faced multiple failures. As per doctors, normally young couples should try to conceive between their late 20’s and early 30’s. It is the perfect age for natural conceiving. Normally, a standard couple may require five to six months of buffer to get pregnant. If the couple is having sexual intercourse without using any birth control method for more than a year, and still no results are seen, it is time for them to see a fertility specialist.

Apart from infertility in women, around 40% of the male are adding the infertile issues in couples. One of the major factors adding to infertility in men is poor sperm count. Problems like obesity, pelvic injury, diabetes, etc. have contributed to dormant sperm count in men. Other issues like erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation can also mitigate infertility in men. Catering to this problem, procedures like IVF and ICSI have been a true blessing for infertile couples.

2. You are above 40

The age factor has always contributed to the growing number of infertility cases in India. Most of the couples are trying to get pregnant after their 30’s, which is a difficult stage to conceive. The late ’20s and early ’30s are considered the ideal stage for a successful pregnancy. For a woman, the mid-’20s is the ideal reproductive age. As she ages, her fertility rate begins to decline, and when she reaches her late 30’s and early 40’s, it is unlikely for her to conceive. However, a large number of infertile couples are thirty-five plus. As women age, the number and quality of their eggs deteriorate aggressively. With growing age, the eggs of women tend to get affected by abnormal chromosomes that lead to infertility. Late pregnancy in women can cause serious complications. Besides the mother, there are chances of the fetus getting affected in after-forty pregnancies.

The ovarian reserves in Indian women rapidly decline after they attain 35 years of age. This is the reason that pregnancy after 35 becomes a lot more difficult and full of complications. Women aging more than thirty-five have a lesser chance of conceiving. It becomes difficult to retain the eggs for fertilization. The egg reserves exceedingly decline between the age of forty to forty-five leading to menopause. Women above forty years of age can face multiple cases of miscarriage, as the egg reserves start to fall rapidly with age. It is time for women who are almost forty and have had multiple failed attempts, to visit an expert fertility specialist. The couples who are wondering when to see a fertility specialist after miscarriage, it is time for them to immediately visit a fertility specialist in India.

3. Have a thyroid condition

The tiny butterfly-shaped gland can even cause major problems as women plan pregnancy. The thyroxine released from the thyroid gland is necessary for the functioning of the body. But under or over secretion of the hormone can affect the chances of pregnancy. Indian women often neglect the thyroid condition, which becomes a huge barrier in their way of getting pregnant. Most Indian women have the condition of hyperthyroidism, in which the thyroxine secretion is comparatively low. That may affect ovulation in women. Hyperthyroidism ultimately contributes to infertility in most Indian women. Besides that, the underlying causes of thyroid conditions like autoimmune or pituitary abnormality can also lead to infertility. Women need to treat hyperthyroidism with proper medical advice and personal care. Only when hyperthyroidism is treated well, infertility is defeated.

4. Have any medical condition or infection

Infertility is driven by several medical conditions and infections in the body. These medical conditions or abnormalities can be found in any or both of the partners. It is essential to know about these medical conditions and how they impact the fertility factor. Some of the most common medical conditions are discussed below:

• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Around 10% of Indian women are affected by PCOS. It is a serious condition that drives the body to oversecrete androgens and under-produce follicle-stimulating hormones. Consequently, it typically delays the ovulation process in women, thus resulting in an irregular menstrual cycle. PCOS affects the production of eggs by undermining them or eliminating their formation. It is primarily a lifestyle drive problem seen in women.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A plethora of infections can impair fertility, one of such infections is STD. This infection affects the reproductive organs and leads to fatal complications. Sometimes STD drives recurrent miscarriage in women.
• Autoimmune Disorder: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis become evil for one's own body. Autoimmune disorder reduces the ability to produce good and healthy reproductive genes, thus impairing fertility.
• Endocrine System Disorder: When the hormone hub fails to work properly, it can affect your pregnancy. In this medical condition, the endocrine system doesn’t produce the pregnancy driving hormones.
• Genetic Abnormalities: Genetic conditions can also lead to a failed pregnancy. Conditions like chromosomal abnormalities or single gene defects can lead to some serious complications in pregnancy.

Couples with the above-mentioned medical condition or infection are encouraged to visit a fertility specialist in India.

5. Irregular or painful periods

Irregular or painful periods are the sign that the ovulation process is not working properly. For some women, periods are a nightmare with painful cramps. Dysmenorrhea or painful periods can be caused by diseases that lead to infertility in women. These diseases can develop with time and affect you internally without any warning. Some of the diseases that cause secondary dysmenorrhea in women are:

• Endometriosis: In this condition, the endometrium grows outside the uterus rather than being inside. They are accused of causing very painful period cramps and probable infertility. Around 50% of women who struggle to get pregnant are affected with endometriosis.