For many hopeful couples, the dream of cradling their little one can feel just out of reach due to numerous hurdles on the way. One of such challenges they face on their journey is poor ovarian response (POR) in women. This condition can be physically and mentally exhausting, adding to the emotional weight of the process.
At,Guru Infertility Center in Madurai,with the help of advanced technologies, specialized experts and individualized care, wecommitted to supporting youin overcoming fertility issues that make your dreama distant reality.
In this blog, we are going to familiarize about poor ovarian response, including its causes, symptoms and how we can help you turn the tide in your favor
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Understand poor ovarian response
Poor ovarian response is a situation when women have fewer eggs left in their ovaries compared to others their age. It means that the ovaries fail to produce a sufficient number of high-quality eggs and it can make difficult to get pregnant.
Causes of Poor Ovarian Response
Severalpotential causes can contribute to poor ovarian response, including:
- Age: The quantity and quality of eggs naturally decline according to the age of the women
- Ovarian Reserve: Ovarian reserve refers to the number and quality of eggs in a woman’s ovaries that can be fertilized. In certain cases women may experience a diminished ovarian reserve earlier than expected, that can lead to poor ovarian response.
- Lifestyle Factors: ovarian function can negatively affect because of Unhealthy lifestyle like smoking, alcohol consumption and poor diet.
- Genetic Factors: Some women may in herit a lower ovarian reserve from genetic.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): The hormonal imbalance associated with PCOS can cause Poor Ovarian Response.PCOS often produce many follicles and they may not always respond well to fertility treatments.
- Endometriosis: Endometriosis is often linked to a poor ovarian response because Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus that can interfere with the normal function of the ovaries.
- Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) or premature menopause: Thisoccurs when a woman’s ovaries stop functioning before the age of 40 andmay have poor ovarian response.
Before starting a treatment plan it is necessary to find out root cause.
Symptoms of Poor Ovarian Response
Poor ovarian response can diagnosed through fertility tests, such as blood tests for hormone levels and ultrasounds to assess the number of follicles in the ovaries. Symptoms may differ for each person. Some common signs are:
- Changes inmenstrual cycles: Women with a diminished ovarian response may experience shorter or irregular menstrual cycle and may also miss periods.
- Hormonal imbalances: Common indicators of poor ovarian response arelow levels of estrogen, AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) andinhibin B.AMH and inhibin B are hormones primarily produced in the ovaries and are considered important markers of ovarian reserve.
- Vaginal dryness: Vaginal dryness occurs when your ovaries do not produce enough estrogen and it can cause painful sex.
- Hot flashes and trouble sleeping: Hot flashes are the sudden feeling of warmth in the upper body of the women and it can be a sign of low estrogen levels. It make difficult to sleep.
- Decreased sex drive: In some case, it can be a symptom of poor ovarian response
- Conceiving difficulty: It may cause in ongoing fertility struggles.
Treatment Options available at Guru Infertility Center in Madurai are:
Along with all our advanced equipment, we also offer the expertise of Dr. Kalpana, a pioneer in fertility solutions and an expert in reproductive care excellence. We provide the following personalized treatment plans tailored to each individual:
- Ovarian Stimulation with High Doses of Fertility Medication: Doctors may prescribe higher doses of fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce more eggs.
- In vitro fertilization (IVF):This is the most common treatment for POR. It allowing for close monitoring and manipulation of the ovulation process and fertilizing eggs with sperm in a lab and then transferring the resulting embryos into the uterus.
- Mild stimulation protocols: Mild stimulation IVF is defined as a protocol in which the ovaries are stimulated with lower doses of gonadotropins, and/or other pharmacological compounds and achieving adequate egg retrieval.
- Embryo Freezing (Cryopreservation): It is also known as embryo banking, is a process that freezes and stores fertilized eggs for later use, especially if ovarian reserve is declining but they are not yet ready to attempt pregnancy.
- Improving Lifestyle: Making some lifestyle changes in your life such as taking balanced diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol, managing your stress and having regular exercise can optimize ovarian function and overall fertility health.
- Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine:Acupuncture, when used alongside Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM),can help to improve ovarian response, possibly by increasing blood flow to the ovaries and balancing hormones. Many women considered it as a potential complementary therapy poor ovarian response (POR).
- Alternative Options:If poor ovarian response persists after so many fertilizing treatments, then you can take alternative paths to parenthood, such as egg donation or surrogacy, ensuring you have every opportunity to achieve your dream.
- Individualized approach and counseling:Each patient is unique in their treatment plan.Discuss the potential challenges and limitations of treatment with the specialist are important.
Conclusion
Of course poor ovarian response can be a challenging aspect of fertility, but it doesn’t mean that pregnancy is out of reach. Using modern fertility treatments, many women with poor ovarian response are able to achieve successful pregnancies.
If you’re struggling with poor ovarian response, know that you’re not alone—there are resources, treatments, and support systems that can help you navigate this challenging journey. Fortunately, at Guru Infertility Center, we are proud to have Dr. B. Kalpana, a distinguished expert in reproductive medicine, along with advanced facilities, to help you move closer to your dream of parenthood.