Unfortunately, quite a lot of people are familiar with the diagnosis of infertility of the 1st degree firsthand. Often this diagnosis sounds like a sentence, but it is not at all the case. This article will help you understand what first degree infertility means and how to treat it.
What it is?
Almost every couple can experience difficulties in conceiving a long-awaited baby. Not everyone succeeds in conceiving a child the first time, but this is not a reason to talk about infertility. The diagnosis of "infertility" is made by doctors in the case when, after repeated attempts during the year, the couple could not conceive a child.
Doctors identify several clinical options for infertility. One of them is infertility of the first degree. The problem in this situation can be for both the man and the woman. So, the first degree of female infertility is said if a woman, despite repeated attempts, did not have a single pregnancy. Male infertility of the 1st degree is implied in the case that after unprotected intercourse, none of the male partners became pregnant.
The reasons that can contribute to the development of this pathological condition are very diverse. Some of them are reversible, that is, with the correct therapy, the chances of conceiving a baby still exist.
In order to determine that one of the partners has infertility of the first degree, a comprehensive diagnosis of each of them is required.
Causes leading to pathology
When a couple, dreaming of the imminent appearance of a baby, contacts, doctors must conduct a thorough diagnosis of the health status of each of the partners. To do this, both a man and a woman need to pass tests and undergo instrumental studies prescribed by doctors.
By the woman
The reasons that contribute to the development of first-degree infertility in women are quite many. The most common of these are, perhaps, diseases of the reproductive organs. So, inflammatory pathologies of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and the uterus itself can become a threat to the development of serious problems with conceiving a baby. The fact is that chronic inflammation leads to damage to the reproductive organs, which is accompanied by a violation of their functioning. Ultimately, this contributes to the fact that it becomes much more difficult for a woman to become pregnant.
Doctors identify several groups of pathologies that can contribute to the development of grade 1 infertility. Reproductive diseases in women can be:
- Congenital. They are associated with anomalies and defects in the structure of the reproductive organs. As a rule, such diseases are formed during the period of intrauterine development. In this case, a little girl is already born with a certain pathology, but her disease manifests itself much later - at reproductive age.
- Purchased. These diseases develop in women already at reproductive age. As a rule, such pathologies occur in a chronic form and can manifest themselves with the development of various adverse symptoms.
Various anatomical defects in the structure of the uterus can lead to the development of infertility of the 1st degree. So, the uterus can be saddle-shaped, two-horned, or have additional bridges in its cavity. Such an abnormal structure can lead to difficulties with natural conception and even contribute to the development of infertility.
If the problem is too pronounced, then in this situation, doctors can only advise an alternative way of adding to the family - surrogacy.
In some cases, severe scarring can also lead to the development of grade 1 infertility. Adhesions, which, as a rule, appear after previous surgical interventions, can lead to disruption of the physiological functioning of internal organs. The adhesion process in the small pelvis is a common cause that contributes to the development of obstruction of the fallopian tubes.
The presence of adhesions in the area of the uterine appendages can lead to the fact that a mature, healthy egg simply cannot meet with sperm. This situation leads to the development of infertility.
In order to cope with such symptoms, it is required to carry out treatment and remove adhesions. Unfortunately, it is impossible to achieve natural fertilization without normalizing the patency of the fallopian tube.
Another insidious pathology that can lead to the development of infertility is endometriosis. Unfortunately, this disease has become more common in gynecological practice. Endometriosis affects not only the reproductive organs, but can also damage other internal organs. This process is accompanied by a disruption in the functioning of the reproductive system, which is manifested by the development of a number of adverse symptoms. Prolonged and severe endometriosis is often the cause leading to the development of grade 1 infertility in women.
The development of difficulties with conceiving a baby can lead not only to pathologies of the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Grade 1 infertility can also be associated with changes in cervical mucus. In some cases, its chemical composition changes, which leads to a change in its main properties. Such changes contribute to the fact that sperm cells trapped in the genital tract during ejaculation cannot maintain their viability in unfavorable conditions and die very quickly. In this case, a woman's menstrual cycle can be quite normal, and the eggs will ripen, as expected, by the day of ovulation.
However, the long-awaited fertilization will not come.
Cervical mucus can change its properties due to the presence of a number of pathologies of the cervix, as well as surgical treatment in this area.
In this case, in order to increase the likelihood of conceiving a baby, a woman should be adequately diagnosed by a gynecologist and undergo the necessary treatment, which may include both drugs for local treatment and the appointment of drugs that act systemically.
By the man
Infertility is a pathology that can be encountered not only by the fairer sex. Men also face the fact that they are diagnosed. Quite often, men find out about their problem only by visiting a family planning clinic. Doctors note that men are much less likely than women to visit medical centers. This leads to the fact that the diagnosis of pathologies in them, as a rule, is not carried out entirely in a timely manner.
The pathologies that can lead to male infertility can be very diverse. According to statistics, various pathologies of the reproductive organs contribute to problems with natural conception in men. So, chronic inflammatory pathologies of the testicles and prostate gland quite often lead to the development of male infertility.
Various infections, including sexually transmitted infections, can lead to the development of chronic pathologies of the reproductive organs in men. The danger of such diseases lies in the fact that they can be latent, that is, they do not manifest themselves clinically for a rather long period of time. The man is not worried about anything, he does not go to the doctor, thereby aggravating the situation that has arisen.
Many infectious pathologies are detected, as a rule, "spontaneously" - during an extended examination, often only after consulting a reproductologist.
It should be noted that not only sexually transmitted infections can contribute to the development of complications leading to the development of male infertility. So, difficulties with natural conception may appear in men who have had mumps (mumps) in childhood. One of the complications of this "childhood infection" is orchitis - damage to the testicular tissue. This condition can contribute to the fact that a man already in adulthood will have difficulties with natural conception.
In addition to diseases of the reproductive organs, concomitant pathologies of the endocrine organs can also lead to the development of infertility. So, diseases of the thyroid gland, accompanied by a violation of its functioning, can also cause the development of difficulties with natural conception. Diseases of the thyroid gland are accompanied by dyshormonal disorders, in which the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood changes. This contributes to the fact that hormonal changes begin to occur in the testicles, which ultimately leads to the development of infertility.
More commonplace reasons can also contribute to the development of infertility. So, the problem with the appearance of a long-awaited heir can lead to addictions. Smoking and alcohol consumption are common causes that can lead to the development of spermatogenesis disorders (the biological process of sperm formation). Also, problems with conceiving a child can be caused by exhausting stress, excessive physical activity and even poor nutrition.
Diagnostics
In order to help a couple conceive a long-awaited child, doctors should examine each partner. The complex of analyzes and studies for men and women in this case is different. So, the fair sex should definitely visit a gynecologist. The doctor will conduct a clinical examination on a gynecological chair and take a biomaterial (smear) from the genital tract for microscopic examination.
If you suspect obstruction of the fallopian tubes, X-ray and ultrasound examinations are prescribed. For certain pathologies for medical reasons, hysteroscopy is also performed - a visual examination of the uterine cavity using a special apparatus. This study allows doctors to assess the presence of pathological changes on the uterine walls, and, if necessary, take biomaterial for a histological examination, which will clarify the stage of a specific pathology.
Men need to visit a urologist and andrologist. These specialists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of pathologies that occur in the stronger sex.
A compulsory analysis, which is assigned to men with suspected infertility, is a spermogram. Laboratory testing of ejaculate allows doctors to determine how active and mobile the sperm are. Sperm analysis allows you to assess the likelihood of potential natural conception.
Treatment
Therapy for infertility of the 1st degree is always individual and depends on the cause that led to this condition. The choice of treatment tactics is made individually. Often, the complex of therapy includes the appointment of drugs, physiotherapy sessions and, if necessary, surgical intervention.
For the treatment of infectious pathologies, antibacterial drugs are used. Moreover, in some cases, therapy is prescribed to both partners at the same time. At the same time, drugs are prescribed to the infected partner as the main treatment, and to the other partner for prevention purposes. Such treatment regimens generally have better therapeutic results.
If a woman cannot get pregnant due to the presence of cicatricial changes in the pelvic cavity, then in this case she undergoes a laparoscopic operation. During such a surgical intervention, the doctor cuts off all scars and adhesions that are a mechanical obstacle to natural fertilization. After a period of rehabilitation after such an invasive procedure, a woman can resume attempts to conceive a child. After such an operation, the chances of a long-awaited pregnancy increase.
You can get pregnant after a number of physiotherapy procedures. They are usually prescribed for a number of chronic diseases of the reproductive organs of mixed genesis. Physiotherapy can be prescribed for both men and women.
The frequency and number of necessary procedures is determined by the attending physician, since there are contraindications for each of the physiotherapeutic methods of treatment.
For information on how to treat infertility, see the next video.
