Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility is a branch of medicine that focuses on reproductive disorders in females and males. It is a sub-specialty in Obstetrics and Gynecology that is geared toward abnormal hormonal function in the reproductive organs and infertility. Infertility, by definition, is the failure to successfully maintain a full-term pregnancy after sexual intercourse. The most common cause of infertility is disease and aging, and both coincide with hormone function. In the United States, a small amount of couples face infertility because of an undiagnosed reproductive disorder. Infertility problems are treated with medications and surgical procedures. Some of the common infertility treatments include In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) …show more content…
The primary glands that regulate ovulation are the ovaries, the hypothalamus, and the anterior pituitary gland. One of the most common endocrine system disorders in women is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. This condition is caused by high levels of androgen in women. High levels of androgen causes symptoms in women such as excess body hair, diabetes, anovulation, and obesity. High androgen levels can be contributed to congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a complication in the adrenal medulla of the adrenal gland that leads to an insulin resistance. An insulin resistance can lead to high androgen levels in the body. Women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome usually have a few onset symptoms. They commonly suffer from cysts and infertility due to anovulation. Cysts are fluid filled sacs that can grow on either one or both ovaries. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can be treated by birth control pills to regularize ovulation, hair removal procedures, and surgery to remove the cysts from …show more content…
It is one of the leading diseases in the cause for infertility in women. It can be very uncomfortable and even painful. It can also cause bleeding, pain during urination, and heavy or painful periods. Pelvic inflammatory disease leads to inflammation of the uterus, which is where the fetus is maintained and developed in women. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease can be treated through antibiotics. There is no treatment to reverse uterine scarring if it is present. Pelvic inflammatory disease that is left untreated can lead to fallopian tube scarring and damage. Any damage to the fallopian tubes can cause Salpingitis, which is fallopian tube inflammation. Damage to the fallopian tubes can also cause scarring on the fallopian tubes. If scarring is on the openings of the fallopian tubes, it can lead to a condition called tubal factor infertility. This is a disorder where the fallopian tubes are partially or completely blocked by scar tissue. To correctly diagnose tubal factor infertility, a patient must undergo a laparoscopy and a
Shannon, J. B. (2007). Endocrine and metabolic disorders sourcebook: Basic consumer health information about hormonal and matabolic disorders that affect the body's growth, development, and functioning, including disorders of the pancreas, ovaries and testes ... (2nd ed.). Detroit,, MI: Omnigraphics.
Considering the variation in clinical presentation of PCOS there was no fixed diagnostic criteria available until 1990. In April 1990 National Institutes of Health (NIH) held a conference and defined Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) as having 1) hyperandrogenism, 2) oligoovulation, and 3) exclusion of known dis...
Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome can cause a number of symptoms. Its can cause everything from obesity to missed periods. It also causes women to have more of the male hormone in their bodies, which cause male hair growth. Not all of PCOS patients have excessive hair growth some may have other skin conditions, like acne. PCOS is the one of the most notorious cause if missed menstrual cycles and “infertility due to the lack of ovulation”. (Thatcher, 12)
It is usually required to normalise or restore changes caused by oestrogen. It affects all aspects of pregnancy, prepares breasts for lactation and the relaxation of joints and ligaments in preparation of childbirth. It can affect bowel movements usually causing constipation and back pain and raises the body temperature. Oestrogens are a group of steroid compounds that function as the primary female sex hormone. Developing follicles in the ovaries, the corpus luteum and the placenta primarily produces them and some secondary sources in smaller amounts can be found in the liver, adrenal glands and breasts.
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help those who want children but struggle with infertility. The process consists of extracting eggs from a woman and collecting a man’s sperm sample then manually combining them in a lab dish. Once the embryo(s) are created they are transferred to a woman’s uterus. IVF is commonly used in woman who cannot conceive on their own due to different reasonings. “These include but are not limited to blocked or damaged fallopian tubes, male factor infertility, woman with ovulation disorders, genetic disorders, woman who have had their fallopian tubes removed and unexplained infertility.” (American Pregnancy)
Endometriosis is a condition where the endometrial tissue that lines the inside of the uterus is found outside of the uterus. Endometriosis is found on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the lining of the pelvic cavity, and the outer surface of the uterus. Other sites are the vagina, cervix, vulva, bowel, bladder, or rectum. In some rare cases it can also be found in the lungs, brain, and skin. Endometriosis effects an estimated 10% of all women during their reproductive years. This is about 176 million women, who have the symptoms of endometriosis. (Reference) Even though growths of endometriosis are benign they still cause many problems. Once a month, hormones cause a woman’s uterus lining to build up with tissue and blood. If the woman does not become pregnant, the uterus sheds this tissue and blood. The tissue and blood leave the body through the vagina this is known as a menstrual period. In woman with endometriosis the tissue and blood that is shed into the body during menstruation can cause pain, inflammation, and scar tissue. When the endometrial tissue grows, it covers the ovaries and can block the fallopian tubes. Trapped blood can form cysts. It will also form scar tissue and ...
Because of this, she does seem to have metabolic syndrome. With metabolic syndrome, concomitant disease states occur that the patient may have, including PCOS, and hypothyroidism.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.1 million married couples experience troubles with infertility. Infertility is defined as trying for over a year and not becoming pregnant for women under 35 and trying for six months for women over 35. The cause of the infertility is a male factor one third of the instances, female another third, ten percent of the cause is a combination of both male and female factors and the remaining twenty percent is not apparent. In vitro fertilization is a process that tries to eliminate the problems inherent in the mother and father. It involves an egg is fer...
Malpani, Dr. A&A. (2004). How Much Does Treatment Cost?. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://infertility.adoption.com/chapter47.php
“Managing Infertility.” USNews.com. Stanford University Medical Center, 31 Mar. 2007. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. .
We have all heard stories of a friend or family member trying to conceive but failing at it for unknown reasons. They spend years, thousands of dollars and many tears only to still not conceive. Then, the woman is finally given the diagnosis of endometriosis. Based on statistical evidence and studies endometriosis is the leading cause of infertility in woman of reproductive age. Not only is it a devastating diagnosis but also an extremely hard disease to diagnosis. At times getting misdiagnosed and ignored by medical professionals. Leading to more years of pain for the woman suffering from a very debilitating disease.
While the symptoms are all the same, many different names have been attributed to menopause-like symptoms in males. Some physicians use the term “SLOH” or “Symptomatic Late Onset Hypogonadism” to describe andropause while others who prefer to label it a deficiency refer to it as ‘”ADAM” or “androgen deficiency of the male”. Whether or not andropause should be treated depends on one’s physician’s opinion on the matter. Some believe that andropause is a natural state that all aging males undergo and that it shouldn’t be treated as a medical abnormality while others believe that there are considerable positive effects of hormone therapy. Supporters of hormone therapy do not agree with the idea that lower hormone levels are simply a natural process of aging. They point out that as life expectancy has increased, so has the need to treat aging-related hormonal shifts. In order to form an opinion on whether andropause should be considered a treatable disease, it’s important to understand its physiological process and an underlying condition known as “adrenopause”.
Because there is no fertilization, the corpus luteum will then be stimulated to degenerate, as will its hormonal output. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, where the oocyte is fertilized but is blocked by the scar tissue, the corpus luteum will normally response by persisting “until the placenta is ready to take over its hormone-producing duties in about three months” (p.971). In this ectopic pregnancy, however, the placenta will be inhibited because the embryo will grow in the fallopian tubes until the tubes cannot stretch, unlike the uterus, and eventually ruptures. The ruptured fallopian tube can cause internal bleeding and is life-threatening to the woman. In an article by Tay, Moore, and Walker (2000), “ectopic pregnancy causes major maternal morbidity and mortality with pregnancy loss, and its incidence is increasing
The process of getting pregnant is one of wondrous measures. Having a family is one of the first human rights—not law—that we learn as kids, but there are many instances to where some are not able to conceive as easy as others. In such instances, there is a solution that women can undergo to have the family they have dreamed of. The solution: In-Vitro Fertilization, otherwise known as IVF therapy. IVF is one way of having a family of your own; however, an emotional debate has attended the question of whether health insurance should cover the cost of In-Vitro Fertilization for infertile couples. Some private health plans have opted to cover IVF, although most have not. Ten states have mandated that it be included or offered as a standard benefit for private health insurance plans. If insurance providers choose to offer benefits for infertility treatments, some of those costs could be mitigated and the treatment may be more accessible.
...ian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common female endocrine conditions. It affects about 5 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age14. Women who have PCOS often suffer from high levels of hormones called androgens – a steroid hormone that regulates the development of male characteristics-14. This syndrome results in obesity, excessive hair growth, reproductive problems and other health issues.