Unexplained Infertility And Treatment Options

If you’re trying to conceive for some time now and your fertility specialist isn’t able to determine why you haven’t already, then it might help to know that you’re not alone. Almost 15-20 percent of couples experience something called unexplained infertility. 

Getting a diagnosis of unexplained infertility from your doctor and fertility specialist may not be enough. People often need a scientific reason for why they are unable to conceive. In this article, you will read more about:

• What Is Unexplained Infertility?
• Possible Causes Of Unexplained Infertility
• Solutions Available For Unexplained Infertility

What Is Unexplained Infertility?

Unexplained infertility is when a couple with all their fertility parameters in check is unable to conceive. In other words, the couple is infertile. Even after conducting several tests and scans of your egg, sperm, uterus, and fallopian tubes, the fertility specialist doesn’t find anything that could hamper conception. There are no fibrous growths, blockages, or abnormalities in the egg and the sperm. The couple’s fertility system is dysfunctional with no scientific explanation. 

Moreover, infertility can be deemed as ‘unexplained’ if:

• The woman is ovulating regularly.
• The couple has intercourse at least twice a week and around the ovulation dates.
• There is no blockage or adhesions in the fallopian tubes. 
• The sperm is perfectly normal. 
• The couple has been trying to conceive for a minimum of one year. 

Possible Causes Of Unexplained Infertility

There could be several possible causes leading to unexplained infertility in couples. These are:

1. Hormonal Imbalance
   
   A disbalance in the production of certain hormones like prostaglandins can interfere with the muscle functioning of the uterus and the fallopian tubes. Abnormal contractions of these muscles can interfere with the successful passage of the eggs through your fallopian tubes. 

2.  Dysfunctional Follicles
   
   Before an egg passes through your fallopian tubes and uterus, it grows until maturity inside a follicle. Follicles are sacs inside your ovaries, each responsible for nurturing and releasing an egg for fertilization. The follicles also secrete hormones that affect your menstrual cycle. 

Sometimes, the follicles inside your ovaries may release their eggs before maturity or may release the egg at all. If any follicle doesn’t burst to release an egg, it becomes a cyst. Such cysts are called follicular cysts and continue to grow with fluid and blood inside. 

In most cases, follicular cysts are benign and do not interfere with infertility. However, sometimes, the cyst might become infected, which can cause scarring in your fallopian tubes and lead to infertility.

3. Abnormal Egg Structure
   
   It is rare to find couples with infertility due to egg structure abnormalities. However, an abnormal egg structure or any chromosomal defects in the egg can sometimes lead to infertility in the female.
   
4. Luteal Phase Defects
   
   When the egg follicle bursts and releases the mature, it becomes the corpus luteum. The corpus luteum produces and secretes a hormone called progesterone, which is responsible for lubricating and preparing the uterus lining for the fertilized egg and the growing embryo for the first seven to eight weeks. 

Proper progesterone secretion is crucial, as fluctuations in its production can be a significant cause of infertility in couples. Such fluctuations include slow production of the hormone, low production of the hormone, or even production of the hormone for an insufficient amount of time. All of the above factors mean that the womb or the uterus might not be fully ready or prepared to shelter a growing embryo.

Solutions Available For Unexplained Infertility

Unexplained fertility means that there seems to be no definitive or identifiable cause for infertility in a couple. Therefore, there cannot be a definite line of treatment either. The doctor and fertility specialist can suggest treatments based on trials and clinical experience only.

Getting started with treatment for unexplained fertility includes:

• Start making lifestyle changes to include healthy and balanced meals and a regular exercise routine in your daily life. Weight loss is a crucial factor for improving fertility. 
• If you haven’t already tried it, the doctor will recommend IUI or inter uterine insemination cycles.
• You can opt for IVF treatment, where if the IVF specialist deems fit, they may extract the mature egg and the sperm directly from the ovary and the testes, respectively. 
• The doctor may also recommend taking supplements to encourage the proper secretion of essential hormones like progesterone, folic acid, etc., in your body.
• When the couple cannot conceive through IVF either, the IVF specialist may recommend getting third-party help like egg or sperm donors, surrogacy, etc., or more advanced tests like ERA, DFI, and PGS. 

In most cases, doctors can determine the exact cause of infertility in a couple; maybe abnormal sperms, low sperm mobility, low-quality egg or embryo formation, etc. In other cases where they can’t, science and technology have progressed well enough to help such couples with a solution. The key thing to note here is that whatever be the treatment option or solution you opt for, be sure to choose the right place for it. 

Amongst several centers in the country, Archish IVF is one of the finest IVF centers in Bangalore as well as India. Whether you opt for IUI, IVF, donor egg/ sperm, or even surrogacy, the team is there to comfort you and handhold you through the process with the utmost care, patience, and expertise. If you’re looking to seek advice and treatment from one of the most promising IVF centers in Bangalore, Archish IVF is the place for you!