Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

Pelvic inflammatory disease affects the reproductive organs of many women. It is an infection that can be caused by many different sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Pelvic inflammatory disease can lead to infertility.

Pelvic inflammatory disease can infect and seriously damage the fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries. Ectopic pregnancies and infertility are common effects of pelvic inflammatory disease.

Women under twenty-five are the most susceptible to this type of infection because the cervix is not completely developed until this age and bacteria can more easily travel into the uterus and fallopian tubes. Women who douche are also more at risk. Douching can wash away helpful flora around the cervix and in the vagina that would normally help protect you from harmful bacteria. Douching can also help facilitate and force bacteria into the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes.

In many cases, symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease may be undetectable or only slightly noticed. Many women go undiagnosed for this reason. Symptoms may include painful urination or intercourse, irregular menstrual periods, foul smelling vaginal discharge or fever. Without treatment or with delayed treatment, the effects of pelvic inflammatory disease can get much worse.

Permanent damage to the reproductive organs can occur when healthy tissues are infected. The organs will try to fight off the bacteria, thus forming scar tissues. This scar tissue can block the fallopian tubes. The fallopian tubes are responsible for transporting the egg to the uterus where it can implant if fertilized. Scarring in the fallopian tubes can cause the egg to be trapped and unable to travel. It can also cause sperm to never be able to reach an egg. If an egg is fertilized, then it can be trapped in the fallopian tube, resulting in an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies can cause fallopian tubes to burst, cause internal bleeding and possibly death.

Pelvic inflammatory disease is usually diagnosed when chlamydia or gonorrhea is found. An ultrasound can show if the fallopian tubes are swollen or enlarged to help diagnose pelvic inflammatory disease. Laparoscopy can also be used to inspect the reproductive organs and diagnose PID.

PID can usually be treated with antibiotics. If it is caught early enough, damage to reproductive organs can be minimal. If damage has occurred, then you may need to be seen by a Reproductive Endocrinologist or infertility specialist highly trained in laparoscopic surgery to start infertility treatment.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

Laparoscopy Endometriosis Treatment

Your infertility specialist may recommend laparoscopy to diagnose and treat endometriosis. Laparoscopy is a relatively non-invasive procedure, especially in the diagnostic phase of your infertility treatment. It can be a lot more invasive, and can be considered a major surgery when it is used to treat endometriosis.
To perform a laparoscopic procedure, your doctor will make a small incision near your navel. Your abdomen will be filled with carbon dioxide to inflate it. This allows the doctor to then insert the laparoscope and inspect your reproductive organs and abdominal cavity. The inflation gives the doctor plenty of room to look around. Your body may be tilted back during the procedure so that your intestines and other organs will shift higher up into your body. This gives the surgeon a more clear view of your reproductive organs.
The laparoscope itself is like a tiny, long telescope. It projects a light into your body so that the surgeon can look around. Your doctor may need to make a second incision near your pubic bone to insert other surgical tools. Endometriosis may be quite visible, but sometimes it is not visible to the naked eye. Your surgeon may take biopsies of tissue from your body during the laparoscopic procedure. The tissues will be examined under a microscope to confirm or deny the presence of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a condition that causes the endometrium, normally lining your uterus, to grow outside of the uterus and attach itself to surrounding structures and organs. Adhesions and scar tissue can form inside of your abdominal and pelvic regions, causing a lot of pain, discomfort and fertility problems. Endometriosis can be mild and may not be discovered until a laparoscopic procedure is performed. If endometriosis affects your ovaries or fallopian tubes, then it can keep eggs from passing through to your uterus for implantation. Endometriosis is a progressive condition and can get worse over time.
Symptoms of endometriosis include abnormally heavy bleeding during menstruation, extremely painful menstrual cramps that last for days, back pain, painful intercourse, urination or defecation. These symptoms can be very similar to other infections or disorders. Therefore, endometriosis may be overlooked until infertility is a concern.
If endometriosis is discovered, your infertility specialist can use laparoscopy as part of the surgical treatment. A pelvis afflicted by endometriosis can also include adhesions, cysts, scar tissue and endometrial implants. Your surgeon will attempt to remove endometrial implants, drain cysts, separate and loosen adhesions and scar tissue. Laser treatment may be used to cut away adhesions, scar tissue and cysts.
Laparoscopy used to treat endometriosis is considered a major surgical procedure, but because of the small incisions made and the state of the art techniques used, there is generally a fast recovery with minimal discomfort after the procedure. Talk to your doctor and discover if laparoscopy endometriosis treatment can help you be on your way to fertility.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

What is Frozen Pelvis?

Endometriosis is a growing concern among women today. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the endometrial glands and stroma that line the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Endometriosis tissue can grow anywhere inside of the abdominal cavity. The symptoms of endometriosis include severe pelvic pain, heavy or erratic bleeding and fatigue. If the endometriosis spreads through the abdominal cavity and fuses organs together, it is referred to as frozen pelvis.
If you have been diagnosed with frozen pelvis, you may have a lot of questions. Frozen pelvis is caused by pelvic inflammation, most commonly endometriosis. Frozen pelvis can cause a lot of different problems. Each individual inflicted with frozen pelvis will have a unique diagnosis. Your intestine may be fused with the uterus, your bladder can be fused with your abdominal wall, or your ovaries and fallopian tubes can be fused with your uterus, which is fused with a cesarean section scar. Every situation is unique and the problems can be widespread.
You may be wondering why this happened to you. Many women have the same question. Endometriosis occurs when uterine lining, normally shed during menstruation, moves upward in the uterus, through the fallopian tubes, and out into the abdominal cavity. This tissue is very irritating to the abdominal tissues and can cause the abdominal tissue to become sticky and scarred. Long strands of scar tissue, called adhesions, can bind organs together. They pull on the organs that they inflict and can affect their function. This can cause bowels to be obstructed. It can cause your bladder not to empty, causing infections. In many cases, surgery and/or medication will be recommended if problems like this are occurring.
Infertility is another possible side effect of endometriosis. To determine that endometriosis is the cause of infertility, a surgical procedure called laparoscopy may be performed. This allows your doctor to see inside of your abdominal cavity with a small scope. Your doctor may determine that endometriosis is one possible cause of infertility if it is adhering to your ovaries and fallopian tubes, or distorting your reproductive organs in any way. Endometriosis can cause tubes to be blocked or ovaries to adhere to abdominal walls or your uterus. In rare cases the endometriosis can grow into your ovaries and damage your eggs, resulting in a reduced egg quality or quantity.
Your next question is probably about treatment options. Frozen pelvis is an advance stage of endometriosis and may require ongoing treatment for fertility to return or to have relief from its debilitating symptoms. Surgery, hormone therapy and physical therapy can all help you get on your way to healing.
The endometrial cells that are causing your frozen pelvis react to hormones in a manner similar to your uterine lining. This means that the cells thicken and shed just like having a menstrual period inside of your body. Blood and endometrial cells can pool up, since they have nowhere to go, causing a lot of pain. Birth control pills can help the problem tissues shrink and cause fewer problems. The growth of the tissues can be controlled long-term in this manner. Anti-inflammatory medications help with pain. Exercise, stretching and palpation of the affected area can help some of the adhesions break loose from your organs. Talk to your doctor about what infertility treatment. options are best for your personal situation and good luck with your journey to fertility and relief.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit http://www.drericdaitermd.com/.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of infertility in women. Women can develop PCOS if there are too many male hormones in their bodies and not enough female hormones. This affects ovulation rates and can make ovulation irregular or non-existent in some women. PCOS causes the ovarian follicles to stop growing. If the follicles do not grow, then they can not release an egg. The follicles don’t reach maturity and they just continue to build up as small to midsized cysts on the ovaries.
The cysts that form on the ovaries release estrogen. The estrogen produced by the ovarian follicles use androgenic or male hormones during this production process. If ovulation doesn’t occur, then the male hormone levels stay high. The result can affect the production of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This can severely impact your ability to ovulate.
There are a few symptoms of PCOS that your doctor will look for when diagnosing PCOS as your cause of infertility. Your symptoms may include obesity and insulin resistance, as well as an excess amount of body hair. These symptoms affect about half of the women experiencing PCOS. Your doctor will also look for irregularities in your menstrual periods. This could be very heavy or very light bleeding, fluctuating cycle lengths or the cessation of periods all together. Acne is a common PCOS symptom, as well as skin discolorations around the genitals, chest and arm pits. Conceiving can be difficult and is often the trigger that gets women to the doctor for their diagnosis.
Diagnosing PCOS can be difficult and often includes ruling out many other possibilities. Your doctor will go over your symptoms and family history. A family history of obesity and/or diabetes can be a factor. Since PCOS can cause insulin resistance, weight loss can be difficult, blood sugar levels can be high, high blood pressure is a risk, and all of these things can lead to diabetes or heart disease. Your doctor may do an ultrasound to look for cysts, but some women with the hormone imbalances of PCOS don’t have cysts, and some women with cysts don’t have PCOS. This makes the diagnosis a little more difficult and many other things may need to be ruled out before a PCOS diagnosis will be given.
A heart healthy diet and regular exercise are essential when you’re trying to control the effects of PCOS. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help balance your hormones. There isn’t an actual cure for PCOS, but controlling the symptoms can greatly reduce your risks of the serious side effects of PCOS. Losing even a small amount of weight can help bring your hormones back into balance and restore your fertility. Your doctor may also want to lower your insulin levels with medicine to increase your chances of conceiving. If you’re not planning on conceiving, then birth control pills can help regulate your periods. With PCOS, the lining of your uterus can build and build. This can lead to uterine cancer if not treated. Birth control pills can significantly reduce this risk by ensuring that you menstruate monthly.
There are many other therapy options that you can discuss with your doctor. Keep in mind that hormone therapies do not help decrease your heart disease and diabetes risk. Therefore, you should take the healthy diet and exercise advice very seriously.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

Possible Causes of Infertility

Infertility is defined by most as the inability to become pregnant or sustain pregnancy after one year of regular sexual activity without the use of contraceptives. Pregnancy can only occur when a chain of events happens uninterrupted. First, the woman must ovulate. The egg must be able to travel down the fallopian tube and be fertilized by a viable sperm. Then the fertilized egg must be implanted into the uterus. The uterus must be able to support the pregnancy. If any of these systems are interrupted, then infertility may occur.
Male infertility can be caused by problems with producing sperm, sperm count or sperm mobility. Sometimes the sperm produced can be misshapen or distorted in a way that prevents it from moving correctly. This prevents it from reaching the egg. Sometimes men are born with this problem. Other times there are other factors causing the sperm count or mobility to be low. Illness, injury and disease can cause problems with the sperm that result in male infertility.
A man’s lifestyle can affect his infertility as well. Alcohol, drugs, poor diet, smoking, medications, extreme inactivity or too much exercise can all affect a man’s fertility. Age may be a significant factor. The older a man gets, the more likely he is to experience fertility problems. A fertility specialist may be able to help you diagnose what is causing your infertility, although sometimes a cause can not be determined.
Female infertility is often caused by problems with ovulation. Ovulation is when an egg is released from the ovary. Problems with ovulation can usually be detected by monitoring the menstrual cycle of the woman. If the cycle is irregular or has ceased, then there may be an ovulation problem.
If there is an egg to be fertilized, then it must be able to travel down the fallopian tube. If there is a blockage, then implantation in the uterus can not occur. If a fertilized egg gets stuck in the fallopian tube, then it can cause an ectopic pregnancy. Endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and uterine fibroids can be other causes of infertility in women. Sometimes the uterus itself can be structurally misshapen or too distorted to support a pregnancy.
Many lifestyle factors should be considered when determining the cause of a female’s infertility. Age, illness, hormonal changes or imbalances, smoking, weight, alcohol use, smoking, exercise level and diet should all be evaluated. Sexually transmitted diseases can also cause infertility. Weight is a common cause of infertility. If a woman weighs too little or too much, it can affect the signal from the brain that tells the ovary to release the egg.
There are many causes of infertility for men and women that are not discussed here. You should talk with your doctor or infertility specialist about what specific causes of infertility you might be experiencing. Careful planning, lifestyle changes, hormonal treatments or surgery could help you conceive. The best thing to do is to come up with an infertility treatment plan that is right for you.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

Anatomy of the Fallopian Tubes and Infertility

The fallopian tubes are located on either side of the uterus. They continue outwards towards the ovaries. At the end of each fallopian tube is a fimbria, or finger-like structure that reaches out towards the ovary to catch eggs when they are released. The fimbria stimulates the ovary when it is time for ovulation. The cilia of the fimbria direct the egg down the fallopian tube towards the uterus.
This section of the fallopian tube, which contains the fimbria, is called the infundibulum. The infundibulum opens into a dilated part of the fallopian tube called the ampulla. The ampulla is where fertilization of the egg generally takes place. Once the egg is fertilized, it will travel down the isthmus, a more narrow part of the fallopian tube. Then it enters the intramural oviduct, which is basically the entrance to the uterus.
The fallopian tubes are made up of three primary layers. The first and innermost layer of the fallopian tubes is called the mucosa. This layer secretes mucus and protects the fallopian tubes. The mucosa has a distinct appearance and can help differentiate between the portions of the fallopian tubes described above. The second layer of the fallopian tubes is called the muscularis externa. This layer is basically a layer of muscle tissue capable of contracting. These contractions help move fluid and eggs through the fallopian tubes. The third layer is the serosa. This is a smooth outer lining.
Problems with the fallopian tubes can lead to infertility. Blockages, inflammation and dysfunction of the fallopian tubes are common causes of infertility. Pelvic inflammatory disease affects the uterus, fallopian tubes and/or ovaries. Inflammation inside the fallopian tube can prevent the passage of an egg and inhibit the chances of a successful pregnancy. This inflammation can eventually cause tissues to stick together and turn into a scar. Scar tissue and adhesions are common causes of blockage in the fallopian tubes. Pelvic inflammatory disease is most commonly caused by sexually transmitted diseases or bacterial infections, although other causes are also possible.
Tubal occlusion or blockage can be tested by x-ray. A dye is injected into the cervix. It travels up through the uterus and into the fallopian tubes. If the dye spills out into the abdominal cavity, then there isn’t a complete blockage in the tube. This procedure is called a hysterosalpingogram. There may be a partial blockage still present, or the tube itself may not be functional enough to transport an egg all the way to the uterus.
If there isn’t a complete blockage of the fallopian tube, then a laparoscopy can be performed to assess the tubal damage. Sometimes surgery can correct tubal damage, or in vitro fertilization may be recommended by your doctor or infertility specialist.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.

Ovulation Prediction

Your best chances of getting pregnant are when you’re ovulating. This includes a few days before and after your egg is released. Ovulation generally occurs 14 days before the start of your next menstrual period, but everyone is different, and predicting when you ovulate could get a little tricky.
First, you need to determine when your menstrual period begins. The first day of a menstrual cycle is considered the day that your period starts. The last day of your cycle is the last day before your period starts again. The menstrual cycle is usually around 28 days long, but could be longer or shorter for you. Track your period on a calendar to figure out how long your menstrual cycle is. Ovulation should occur about 14 days before your next period begins.
Accurately predicting ovulation can be a little trickier than figuring out when day 14 is for you. Ovulation can be irregular or it can be affected by diet, stress or illness. There are a few other ways to more accurately predict ovulation. Tracking your basal body temperature is a common way to predict ovulation. Take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed and track the changes. After you ovulate, your body temperature will rise slightly, around a half a degree Fahrenheit. Your body temperature rises to create a more fertile environment for a fertilized egg. Your body temperature should remain elevated from the day after you ovulate until your next period begins due to the increased progesterone in your system.
Another prediction method is the cervical mucus method. Monitoring your cervical mucus levels can help you predict ovulation. This can help you figure out when ovulation is about to happen and increase your chances of getting pregnant. Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus will become thin, clear and slippery. Sperm can live in your body for a few days, so intercourse around this time can increase your chances of having a fertilized egg and achieving pregnancy.
Ovulation prediction kits and tests can be very accurate. When your body is preparing to ovulate, it creates a surge of luteinizing hormone which prompts the ovary to release the egg from the ovarian follicle. Ovulation prediction kits and tests detect the surge of luteinizing hormone and accurately show when ovulation is going to occur. It is very important when using this method to follow the manufacturer’s directions exactly. Unlike pregnancy tests, early morning is not the best time to take and ovulation test. Luteinizing hormone can take until early afternoon to collect in your urine. Take the test at the same time every day for the most accurate interpretation of the results. Like a pregnancy test, you should avoid drinking a lot of liquids for two hours before you take the test, as to not dilute the hormone being detected.
You may need to try different methods while you are attempting to get pregnant. Talk to your doctor about your results and keep track of each method’s results on a calendar. This will help you track your fertility and best figure when ovulation is actually taking place.

About the Author: Eric Daiter is the medical director of The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine, LLC, a leading NEW JERSEY INFERTILITY CENTER that offers a complete range of MALE INFERTILITY AND FEMALE INFERTILITY TREATMENT. For more information on The NJ Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine and Dr. Eric Daiter please visit www.drericdaitermd.com.