Treatment for Unexplained Infertility
Here at the clinic, we see many patients coming in with a diagnosis of unexplained infertility. We actually don’t accept this as a true diagnosis: unexplained infertility simply means that the answer hasn’t been found for you yet.
Many times, the right tests haven’t been run, or your case hasn’t been examined in enough detail. We’ve worked with thousands of patients with unexplained infertility and have been able to determine factors involved in their inability to conceive that have not been turned up before. Knowing the questions to ask and the tests to run can identify the important factors to address – allowing you to finally take the steps needed to conceive.
Some potential causes for unexplained infertility are
PCOS
Many women with PCOS do not have the typical presentation. In fact, there may be slight variants of PCOS that are present that can cause subfertility. We can pick these out as we specialize in treating PCOS.
Endometriosis
10% of women overall have endometriosis. Blood testing can screen for this disease as well as a careful history. Endometriosis can cause infertility and miscarriage.
Egg Quality concerns
This is a major cause of unexplained infertility in women of all ages, however particularly in women who are over 35.
Sperm DNA Fragmentation
Although regular sperm analyses may look fine, a more detailed look at the DNA quality of the sperm can uncover a hidden cause of unexplained infertility.
Thyroid Disorders
Hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s/Autoimmune thyroiditis can cause infertility, and miscarriages.
Luteal Phase Defect
A short luteal phase, associated with low progesterone can cause implantation failure. This can easily be identified with basal body temperature charting, natural cycle monitoring and a careful history. This cause is the simplest to treat.
Autoimmune Infertility
In some women, various autoimmune factors may play a role in unexplained infertility. Autoimmunity, or overactive immune function can cause implantation problems and miscarriage.
Stress
Although we don’t believe stress is usually the cause of long term cases of infertility, it can cause subfertility – making it take longer to conceive. It affects the hypothalamic pituitary ovarian axis and can disrupt ovulation and the luteal phase.
Genetic disorders
In some cases, genetic disorders may play a role in unexplained infertility. We offer genetic testing to look for these factors.
