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Health & Fitness

Physical Barriers to Fertility

In some cases, infertility is caused by more than hormonal imbalances or misunderstanding ovulation. Some couples experience physical barriers to achieving pregnancy.

For couples that want to conceive, there are numerous potential confounders. Hormone production, sperm count, sperm health, egg viability, ovulation, and lifestyle factors (such as timing of intercourse, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, taking off a few pounds, etc.) are common fertility issues that garner most of the attention when couples have difficulty achieving pregnancy.

In some cases, however, physical difficulties can make achieving pregnancy difficult or impossible. Men and women may experience biological problems or physical blockages that result in difficulty conceiving.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some potential physical barriers to fertility in men include retrograde ejaculation, blockage of the epididymis, and undescended testicles. Healthline adds that Peyronie’s disease, a potential cause of erectile dysfunction that can make erections difficult and intercourse painful, can also make reproduction difficult for couples.

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Physical barriers to reproduction that may affect women include scarring or blockage of the Fallopian tubes, endometriosis, tumors or cysts, and pelvic scar tissue. Both men and women may also experience physical fertility problems caused by certain genetic disorders, cancers, paralysis, and medications.

Treating Physical Infertility Issues in Ohio

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In some cases, physical barriers to fertility are not fixable. Many others may be amenable to treatment, though, so it’s best to consult a fertility expert before exhausting your savings on IVF treatments.

Consider getting an evaluation of potential physical problems from a NaPro Technology medical consultant in Ohio. These fertility specialists start with the simplest possibilities and systematically work their way through all potential causes of infertility; they often find simple solutions to fertility difficulties. In cases with physical barriers, they can often provide operations to increase the likelihood of natural conception.

If you prefer some assistance closer to home, the Cleveland Clinic may be able to help. They offer surgical services to address a variety of physical causes of infertility, such as a blocked tube or even a malformed uterus. If your infertility does not require an invasive treatment, they also offer pharmaceutical and lifestyle plans for improving fertility.

The Society of Reproductive Surgeons also offers a list of providers in the area that will be qualified to handle a wide variety of physical barriers to fertility. Regardless of where you go for your evaluation, only accept treatment from a board-certified surgeon with experience treating physical reproductive problems.

Also, remember that even some physical fertility problems cannot be fixed by surgery. There is no guarantee that an operation will correct fertility difficulties, so don’t consider surgery a “magic bullet.” In some cases, multiple fertility barriers exist, and the correction of one will not resolve the others. In other cases, the single barrier to fertility is unable to be corrected. No matter your situation, it pays to consider all of your options for fertility improvement. 

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