Period FAQs

can irregular periods cause infertility

by Gennaro Marquardt Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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Abnormal menstruation can often be a source of concern for many women due to its discomfort and hindrance of her lifestyle. It can also be a cause of infertility, as well as indicating an underlying condition like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) that has caused difficulty conceiving.

What causes a sudden irregular period?

Other common causes of irregular periods include:

  • Having an intrauterine device ( IUD)
  • Changing birth control pills or using certain medications
  • Too much exercise
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS)
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
  • Stress
  • Overactive thyroid ( hyperthyroidism) or underactive thyroid ( hypothyroidism)
  • Thickening of or polyps on the uterine lining
  • Uterine fibroids

What are the problems with irregular periods?

The Most Common Causes of Missed and Irregular Periods

  1. High Stress Levels. When you’re under a lot of stress for an ongoing period, your body can start to conserve energy by preventing ovulation.
  2. Poor Diet. A poor diet low in nutrients, antioxidants and probiotic foods yet high in stimulants can tax the adrenal glands and thyroid.
  3. Extreme Weight Loss and Low Body Weight. ...
  4. Over-Exercising. ...
  5. Thyroid Disorders. ...

More items...

What is the impact of irregular periods on ovulation?

Irregular periods create a challenge in tracking ovulation and knowing when the best time is to have sex in order to get pregnant. The good news is that tracking ovulation with irregular periods is pretty easy to pinpoint. You can even track your ovulation with a good amount of precision thanks to the advancement of modern medicine.

What are the symptoms of an irregular menstrual cycle?

Symptoms of irregular periods vary from woman to woman, but it's recommended that you consult a doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms: Spotting or bleeding after sex is a symptom that requires medical attention. Spotting or bleeding between periods. Spotting or bleeding after sex. Periods that occur more than every three weeks.

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Is it harder to get pregnant with an irregular period?

Yes, women can get pregnant with an irregular period. However, the ability to get pregnant decreases significantly. The disadvantage is ovulation becomes difficult to determine. The pregnancy success rate of a healthy woman with a regular cycle is 30%.

Does having irregular periods mean you're infertile?

Irregular menstrual cycles don't always affect fertility. In fact, plenty of women with irregular menstrual cycles get pregnant and go on to have normal pregnancies. So if you're wondering whether irregular periods mean infertility, the answer is no, but this may make it harder for you to get pregnant.

How can you get pregnant with irregular periods?

If you're ovulating, you have the ability to get pregnant, but if you have irregular periods, your chances for pregnancy may be more limited than a woman with regular periods. The most important thing is to have regular unprotected sex. Aim to have intercourse at least every two to three days.

How do I know if I'm infertile?

The main symptom of infertility is not getting pregnant. There may be no other obvious symptoms. Sometimes, women with infertility may have irregular or absent menstrual periods. In some cases, men with infertility may have some signs of hormonal problems, such as changes in hair growth or sexual function.

What are 4 causes for female infertility?

Risk factorsAge. The quality and quantity of a woman's eggs begin to decline with age. ... Smoking. Besides damaging your cervix and fallopian tubes, smoking increases your risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. ... Weight. Being overweight or significantly underweight may affect ovulation. ... Sexual history. ... Alcohol.

What vitamins help regulate your period?

Taking a daily vitamin D supplement can help regulate your menstrual cycle. B vitamins may also help reduce PMS and regulate menstrual cycles.

How can I boost my fertility hormones?

16 Natural Ways to Boost FertilityEat foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants like folate and zinc may improve fertility for both men and women. ... Eat a bigger breakfast. ... Avoid trans fats. ... Cut down on carbs if you have PCOS. ... Eat fewer refined carbs. ... Eat more fiber. ... Swap protein sources. ... Choose high fat dairy.More items...

Do light periods mean infertility?

When you're trying to conceive, having a light period can sometimes indicate a potential fertility problem. One of the biggest underlying medical issues that could cause a light period is polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, a condition where people produce higher than average male hormones.

When do you ovulate when your period is irregular?

Do irregular periods affect ovulation? No matter the length of her period, every woman ovulates about 14 days before her next period.

How do I know if I am fertile enough to get pregnant?

If your menstrual cycle lasts 28 days and your period arrives like clockwork, it's likely that you'll ovulate on day 14. That's halfway through your cycle. Your fertile window begins on day 10. You're more likely to get pregnant if you have sex at least every other day between days 10 and 14 of a 28-day cycle.

What causes irregular periods?

Difficulty with ovulation — which could be the source of irregular periods — accounts for infertility in about 25 percent of infertile couples. In some cases, hormonal disorders that affect the release of eggs from the ovaries are the underlying problem.

What percentage of people have problems with fertility?

About 10 to 15 percent of people of reproductive age have problems with fertility. Age can be a factor in infertility for both men and women. With women, it comes a bit earlier. Women tend to start experiencing fertility problems in their mid-30s to early 40s.

What percentage of infertility is caused by men?

When the causes of infertility are broken down, about 40 percent come from men and about 40 percent come from women. In about 20 percent of cases, the problem involves a combination of factors that include both.

How long does it take for an infertility test to be done?

Testing usually can identify the problem within several months, or sometimes an underlying cause of infertility cannot be found.

Can irregular periods cause infertility?

Just because you have irregular periods, however, doesn’ t necessarily mean you have one of these conditions, nor is the unpredictability of your menstrual cycles automatically the cause of your infertility. Although assessing the possible causes of irregular periods is typically a starting point for investigating infertility, there are various underlying conditions that could hamper your effort to get pregnant.

Can too much prolactin interfere with ovulation?

Hyperprolactinemia , a condition in which the body makes too much of the hormone prolactin, also can interfere with ovulation. Too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) or too little (hypothyroidism) can affect the menstrual cycle or cause infertility, as well.

What does it mean when you have irregular periods?

Having irregular periods, no periods, or abnormal bleeding often indicates that you aren't ovulating, a condition known clinically as anovulation. Although anovulation can usually be treated with fertility drugs, ...

What causes ovulation to not work?

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that can cause the ovaries not to work. In most cases, the ovaries become enlarged and appear covered with tiny, fluid-filled cysts. Symptoms include: No periods, irregular periods, or irregular bleeding. No ovulation or irregular ovulation.

How many women ovulate with PCOs?

About 90% of women ovulate with these drugs and between 20% and 60% become pregnant. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) A common ovulation problem that affects about 5% to 10% of women in their reproductive years is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that can cause the ovaries not to work.

How long does it take for clomiphene to ovulate?

You can expect to start ovulating about seven days after you've taken the last dose of clomiphene. If you don't ovulate, the dose can be increased by 50 milligrams per day each month up to 150 mg. After you've begun to ovulate, most doctors suggest taking Clomid for 3-6 months before referring to a specialist.

What is the best fertility medicine for ovulation?

The drug contained in Clomid and Serophene (clomiphene) is often a first choice because it's effective and has been prescribed to women for decades.

How to cure PCOs?

By stimulating ovulation, especially in women trying to conceive, and treating insulin resistance, regular ovulation and periods often are restored. A procedure known as in vitro fertilization, or IVF, is another potential treatment for women with PCOS. Stress and Fertility.

What is the best way to stimulate ovulation?

Depending on your situation, your doctor may also suggest other fertility drugs such as Gonal -F or other injectable hormones that stimulate follicles and stimulate egg development in the ovaries. These are the so-called "super-ovulation" drugs. Most of these drugs are administered by injection just under the skin.

How to treat irregular periods?

If the irregular periods are hormone-related, treating an underlying thyroid condition or using hormone therapies like birth control pills or certain types of IUDs may help.

How many days can you go without menstruation?

Oligomenorrhea (infrequent periods and when a menstruator regularly goes more than 35 days without menstruating)

How long does the menstrual cycle last?

The menstrual cycle is how the body prepares for possible pregnancy after ovulation, which is the monthly release of a mature egg. The average menstrual cycle lasts 28 days. During the cycle, the release of the egg from the ovary and preparation of the uterine lining for receiving a possible fertilized egg (embryo) for pregnancy are caused by different hormones.

Can PCOs cause infertility?

It occurs in 5% to 10% of women in their reproductive years. Although PCOS may lead to infertility due to lack of ovulation, it is usually treatable though it may not be totally curable.

Can menstrual irregularities cause infertility?

Menstrual irregularities are a source of pain and inconvenience and thus can be concerning. These disorders may or may not indicate an underlying condition that can, in turn, lead to infertility or difficulty getting pregnant. Certain types of menstrual disorders include:

Can irregular menstrual cycles affect fertility?

Irregular menstrual cycles don’t always affect fertility. Women with irregularities can still get pregnant, but the process may become a bit harder. One of the reason is that when the periods are irregular, it makes it much more difficult (if not impossible) to track the menstrual cycle and determine the approximate time for ovulation.

Can Irregular Periods Cause Infertility?

Normally, regular periods come monthly in an interval of 21 to 35 days, and menstrual flow lasts from 2 to 7 days. Irregular periods may occur frequently, less frequent, or not at all. Manifestations of irregular periods are the following:

Causes of Irregular Period

Meanwhile, identifying the causes of irregular menstruation is important to any evaluation, as such, the causes are any of the following:

Treatment for Irregular Menstruation

The firsthand treatment for the condition is to avoid the root cause, or you may try some of these healing remedy:

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