Infertility treatments are based on the origin or the many causes of infertility. It also depends on just how far you want to take the treatment. This is a very emotional time and can be financially stressful as well.

Some of the common methods of infertility treatment are:

Drugs or Medications:

Fertility medications are usually prescribed to women experiencing ovulation disorders. More than 25% of the reported cases of infertility worldwide are due to ovulation disorders and prescription drugs are considered to be the first line of treatment for this condition. Fertility medications are believed to have helped more than 80% of women to ovulate on time. Some of the common drugs in this category are Clomid, Arimidex, Femara, Gonadotropins, and others.

Surgery:

Fallopian tube obstruction is the leading cause of infertility that requires surgery. In over 35% of the case of female infertility, the fallopian tubes are either blocked or are not functioning properly. There could be problems with the abdomen and the pelvis as well. A test is conducted to see if the internal organs are functioning properly or not. If there is a blockage, laparoscopic surgery may help in removing the obstruction and repair any damage within the tubes. This procedure will allow the patient to get back to normal life very soon.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART):

IVF

ART refers to the infertility treatments involving the embryos or the eggs. This technology includes different treatment options like GIFT, ZIFT, and IVF. IVF is a very common infertility treatment and is one of the most successful as well. IVF is most effective when a woman is under the age of 35; the success rate is 35% during this stage. However, as a woman ages, the success rate of this method declines.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI):

Also known as artificial insemination, this procedure involves the placing of sperm into the female uterus directly. IUI is commonly used in treating unexplained infertility, problems with male infertility, and cervical mucus in women. The success rate of this infertility treatment has been quite high. However, this treatment also requires adequate care.

Possible side effects of infertility treatments are:

Multiple pregnancies (pregnancy with two or more fetuses) that can cause high blood pressure and diabetes in mother, premature labor and babies having a low birth weight
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or overstimulation of ovaries (by fertility drugs)
Mood swings, anxiety, and stress
Hot flushes
Infections or damage to the reproductive tract
Ectopic pregnancy (a condition in which a fertilized egg gets implanted into the fallopian tube instead of the uterus and starts growing there)
Temporary blurred vision
Allergic reaction to drugs
Acne, weight gain, and breast enlargement in men using fertility drugs

Due to the side effects associated with medical treatment of infertility and the cost associated with the treatment, many people are looking at alternative treatment like the natural infertility treatment

If you’re trying to get pregnant but haven’t succeeded, you might be asking yourself whether you or your partner could be infertile. You may also be wondering, what is infertility?

What is infertility?

It’s a condition of the reproductive system that hinders the conception of a child. In the US alone, about 10-15% of couples suffer from infertility. It’s diagnosed as infertility when couples are unable to conceive a child for more than one year.

Infertility can occur on either you or your partner or a combination of various factors that hinder pregnancy. Fortunately, there are various alternative and natural remedies for fertility like homeopathy and acupuncture for fertility that can increase your chances of conception.

The most common definition of infertility is an inability to conceive during 6-24 months of regular and unprotected sex. Infertility is also used to describe the inability to produce viable eggs or sperm. Infertility can refer to women who, while they can get pregnant, cannot maintain the pregnancy for the entire term.

One or both partners may be physically or biologically unable to contribute to or participate in the process of conception, pregnancy, and birth.

The definition of infertility is described differently for men and women. Female infertility is the failure to conceive or carry gestation to fruition. On the other hand, male infertility means lack of potency or inability to impregnate a woman.

Types of infertility

Primary infertility

This is referred to as the condition where the couple is never able to successfully conceive a pregnancy. This is when after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse, they are still not getting any positive results.

Secondary infertility

This is another type of infertility that is common among couples who have had a previous pregnancy and a child or two. However, they are not able to achieve another conception or pregnancy. This is not as pressing as a concern compared to its primary infertility counterpart.

What are the causes of infertility?

Every step of ovulation and fertilization is required to transpire for pregnancy to occur. At times, the problem with infertility is present from birth, and at times, it can gradually develop.

Contrary to popular belief, infertility can occur in both genders. Generally:

In 1/3^rd of infertility cases, there’s a problem with the woman
In 1/3^rd of infertility cases, the problem is with the man
In the remainder of cases, the problem lies with both the man and woman or no cause can be ascertained

Many physical and emotional factors can cause infertility. It may be due to problems in the woman, man, or both.

Each of these factors is essential for getting pregnant:

You need to ovulate.

To get pregnant, the ovaries must produce and release an egg, a process known as ovulation. Your doctor can help you evaluate your menstrual cycles and confirm ovulation.

Your partner needs healthy sperm.

For most couples, this isn’t a problem unless your partner has a history of illness or surgery. Your doctor can perform a few simple tests to assess your partner’s sperm health.

You need to have regular sex.

You must have regular sexual intercourse during your fertile period. Your doctor can help you better understand when you are most fertile.

You must have open fallopian tubes and a normal uterus.

The egg and sperm meet in the fallopian tubes and the embryo needs a healthy uterus in which to grow.

For pregnancy to occur, every step in the human reproduction process must happen correctly.

What are the main causes of infertility in women?

Cancer or related treatment
Pelvic adhesions
Early menopause
Endometriosis Damage or blockage of the fallopian tube
Cervical or uterine abnormalities
Ovulation disorders

The inability to conceive and recognizing the source of female infertility is the first step in treating it. There are many causes of infertility in women which are listed below

Blocked fallopian

The fallopian tubes will often become blocked as well as damaged resulting from certain conditions that a woman is affected from. In rare cases, the blockage to the fallopian tubes ended up being present since birth as a birth defect, but have gone undetected until the woman reached adulthood and attempted to conceive which a case for female infertility.

PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a symptom in which there is an imbalance of a woman’s female sex hormones.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when the excess endometrium lining of the uterus that normally grows in readiness for the implanting of the egg begins, doesn’t necessarily completely shed during menstruation. It then begins to adhere to other places of the body aside from the uterus. When menses comes not only does the lining within the uterus bleed the endometriosis that has grown in other areas of the body also bleeds.

Unexplained Female infertility

This occurs used when there is no found reason for infertility. Normally a couple has gone through each of the testing available and everything comes back clear

Ovarian Cyst

Ovarian cysts are the product of unsuccessful or disordered ovulation which can be linked to female infertility. One of many ways cysts on the ovaries is made when the follicle does not release its egg in addition to the follicle is maintaining growth forming a cyst.

Cervical Mucus

Cervical fluid is essential for allowing the sperm to swim freely via the cervix. Some women have low or no cervical fluid, therefore it is harder for the sperm to transport and there might not be an agreeable environment to make the sperm sustain themselves.

Absent Menstruation

Your cycle may be irregular due to factors particularly stress, dietary deficiencies, low body weight, getting off of contraceptive pills, hormonal imbalance, or another underlying issue that may influence reasons for female infertility.

Uterine Fibroids

For many women with uterine fibroids: doctors are unclear about what may cause them to occur. What they do know, however, tends to be that estrogen and progesterone, both female hormones, contribute to the increase of the fibroids which in turn contributes to a reason why you experience female infertility.

What are the causes of infertility in men?

Male infertility can be caused because of several reasons. The most common causes of infertility in men is a varicocele. The veins make the inside part of the scrotum (testicles) warmer, which can reduce sperm production and cause infertility. Apart from Varicocele, other causes for male infertility include:

Blockage in the male reproductive system
Low sperm count
Damage from cancer or related treatments
Overexposure to specific environmental factors like pesticides, radiation, etc
Issues with sperm delivery
Problems with sperm function or production
Undescended testicle
Infection
Abnormally moving sperm or odd-shaped sperm
Certain medications and/or medical conditions
Smoking, alcoholism, and drug abuse
Stress
Obesity
Aging

Infertility Risk Factors

Most risk factors of infertility affect both men and women, which include:

The chances of fertility decrease with age. In women, this develops around the mid-’30s, and it rapidly decreases by 37. Among men, men over 40 tend to be less fertile than younger men.
Marijuana and tobacco use can also reduce the likelihood of pregnancy
Alcohol use can prevent pregnancy, especially among men. It can lead to a reduction in sperm mobility and count
Being overweight can also increase the chances of infertility
Similarly, people that are underweight can suffer from infertility as well
Intense exercise among women can cause ovulation problems

Symptoms of infertility vs. signs of infertility

The only real and scientifically accepted symptom of infertility is an inability to get pregnant. Everything else can be described as signs of possible infertility. For example, a menstrual cycle that is too long (35 days or more), too short (less than 21 days), irregular or absent can mean that woman is not ovulating and this is one of the signs of infertility. It is not uncommon for people to experience signs of infertility as many people show no direct symptoms of infertility until they try to conceive. However, the symptoms of infertility in men and women are different. In most cases, there are no other symptoms. At times, a woman experiencing infertility can have irregular or no menstrual periods. With man, some symptoms of infertility include changes in sexual function or hair growth. Generally, most couples can conceive a child with or without treatment.

Listed below are the most common signs of infertility in men and women

Signs of infertility in women

Pain during sex

Pain during sex, or dyspareunia, can be a sign of an underlying health problem that may influence a woman’s fertility. Examples of such health issues include infections, endometriosis, and fibroids.

Heavy, long, or painful periods

Some women experience a few days of light flow, while others regularly experience heavy periods and painful cramps. Women who experience very heavy, painful periods may be showing signs of endometriosis, a condition where tissues usually found in the womb are present elsewhere in the body.

Dark or pale menstrual blood

If menstrual blood is regularly paler than usual, this may be a cause for concern. Menstrual blood is usually bright red at the beginning of a person’s period and may get darker over the following days.

Irregular menstrual cycle

Having an irregular cycle, including missing periods, can contribute to infertility, as it means a woman may not be regularly ovulating. Ovulation is when the ovary releases an egg.

Underlying medical conditions

Other contributing factors that may affect fertility in women include:

Damage to the fallopian tubes or ovaries
Premature menopause
Cancer and cancer treatments
Obesity

Signs of male infertility

Male infertility can be diagnosed by the very fact that despite trying, your partner is not able to conceive for about one year of trying without using contraceptive measures. Listed below are infertility symptoms in men:

Sexual dysfunction:

If a man is unable to get a strong or long-lasting erection, he is unable to have proper penetrative sex which may lead to the inability of him to impregnate a woman. Lack of sex drive or libido in men can also lead to sexual dysfunction and can abstain a man from impregnating a woman.

Endocrine dysfunction:

The endocrine glands are glands that, along the nervous system of your body controls and coordinates body functions. The endocrine system comprises different endocrine glands. These glands secrete hormones that are vital in terms of the development and growth of our body, regulating metabolism, puberty, tissue functioning, and mood. Endocrine dysfunction is the failure of an endocrine gland and it may be a sign of infertility in men.

Varicocele:

Varicocele is a condition in which, there is an enlargement of the veins of the spermatic cord. This can cause testicular pain and infertility in men.

Natural infertility treatments

Many people dream of having a child. However, for some people, this often remains a dream. In the US alone, about 10 percent of women have problems trying to conceive a child.

Natural infertility treatments offer various options like homeopathy for infertility, acupuncture, and Chinese herbs for infertility, and more. They produce minimal to no side effects making it a wonderful remedy.

In most cases, infertility can be treated effectively with Acupuncture for infertility. While people becoming aware of the dangers of conventional treatments, many are resorting to alternative treatments like homeopathy, Chinese herbs, and acupuncture for fertility.

Natural infertility treatments show no or minimal side effects, and the results can often be outstanding. Particularly for people who don’t see results from conventional methods, natural infertility treatments can be very effective.

Natural fertility treatments are safe, achievable, and leads to a happy ending. It helps the body to detoxify from the effects of the previous fertility drugs taken over a long period.

Listed below are the most effective natural infertility treatments

Yoga for infertility one of the traditional Asian natural infertility treatments

Yoga for infertility is a natural remedy for infertility that serves as an excellent way to influence a woman’s body toward a healthier, more productive balance. Because asanas strengthen and tone the body in an attempt to establish a mind-body awareness, women or couples who practice yoga derive the physical benefits of healthier bodies in addition to the relaxation benefits that meditating and practicing breathing techniques offer.

Some yoga poses that open up the hips and pelvis or relax the belly and abdomen to encourage the downward flow of prana, which may open up a constricted uterine or stressed out the nervous system, can increase a woman’s chances of getting pregnant.

Practitioners also note an added benefit to practicing yoga during a struggle with infertility. Women who can’t get pregnant often form a conflicted or negative perspective of their bodies, but a consistent yoga practice can help restore self-love and a positive relationship to the physical body.

Acupuncture for infertility – represent one of the ancient Chinese natural infertility treatments.

Acupuncture for fertility is one of the various medical approaches comprised by the term Natural infertility treatments and used by naturopathic practitioners.

Acupuncture for infertility is an excellent option for people suffering from infertility. By placing very thin needles in particular points of your body, acupuncture provides a remedy for a lot of problems. By evaluating your condition precisely and placing needles in specific acupoints, acupuncture for fertility encourages blood flow to your reproductive organs and balances your hormones. This can be very beneficial for infertility patients. Additionally, it works on both men and women.

Acupuncture, as a natural infertility treatment, has very little or no side effects. It’s not painful and causes no bleeding. However, if you’re searching for ‘acupuncture for infertility near me,’ make sure you do proper research. In the hands of an inexperienced or untrained acupuncturist, acupuncture for fertility will not produce any results.

How can acupuncture help people with infertility problems? Studies have shown that acupuncture for infertility is a natural remedy that is very effective in treating infertility.

Acupuncture for infertility helps to balance the hormones and the production of eggs. Acupuncture also helps cure other reproductive problems such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, spasmed tubes, and could prevent the risk of having a miscarriage.

Even men can experience great benefits from acupuncture. Acupuncture could increase sperm production. Reports also indicate that acupuncture could help men with sperm DNA fragmentation. Combined with the right kind of infertility procedure and treatment, the chance of getting pregnant is possible now for infertile couples

Herbs for Infertility – effective home-based natural infertility treatments.

Herbs for Infertility is a natural remedy for infertility that create more obvious results in women experiencing hormonal imbalances and irregular menstrual flow. The herbs commonly used are red clover blossom, chaste berry, wild yam, licorice, and false unicorn root. For men, typical herbs recommend are saw palmetto and Tribulus.

Red Clover Blossoms when combined with Raspberry Leaf is used in aiding fertility. Chasteberry helps fertility by balancing the sex hormones. Dong Quai is used to solve menstrual difficulties. It also helps to balance estrogen levels in the body and improve the chances of egg implantation. It is suggested to use Dong Quai during the days between ovulation and menstruation only.

Chinese herbs for infertility represent another great option for natural infertility treatments. There are various herbs, so you might have to experiment with a few before finding the suitable one for your condition. There is no single remedy, and various herbs are often combined to treat various symptoms. Research shows the Chinese herbs Shu Di Huang, Dang Gui, Tu Si Zi, among others, to be effective for increasing fertility.

Additionally, some studies also show Chinese herbs for infertility and acupuncture to greatly complement each other and increase the chances of conception. However, sometimes herbs can counteract other medications, so make sure you consult your doctor properly before taking Chinese herbs for infertility.

Homeopathy for Infertility – #1 amongst natural infertility treatments

What makes homeopathy for infertility a great option is that it is able to get to the root of the problem. Prior to treatment, an extensive evaluation is done not only on your current symptoms but also on your medical history. Unlike the conventional approach, homeopathy for infertility doesn’t only concentrate on symptoms but the whole self. There is no specific homeopathic remedy for infertility, and treatment can be personalized.

Some common homeopathic remedies for infertility include Agnus Castus, Sepia, Pulsatilla, Calcarea Carbonica, Natrum Phosphoricum, Borax, and Abroma Radix. They have little to no side effects and are significantly more affordable. In combination with other alternative treatments like acupuncture for infertility, the results can be remarkable.

Conclusion on natural infertility treatments

Infertility can be very devastating for a lot of couples. Fortunately, there are lots of treatments available. If you’re looking for a more holistic approach to your condition, you can try natural infertility treatments. Acupuncture for infertility is most demanded in this category and many families have been successfully treated. Especially for patients that don’t see positive results from conventional treatment, holistic and alternative approaches can be beneficial.

Dr. Tsan has 40+ clinical and academic experience in natural infertility treatments. He started his career as an OBGYN physician at the fertility clinic and his experience in this area of expertise helps him today in his daily practice. There are different naturopathic practitioners working under Dr. Tsan’s supervision

For natural infertility treatments contact Philadelphia Holistic Clinic and schedule an appointment for a comprehensive holistic evaluation with Dr. Tsan.