Ovulation Problems: What is Anovulation?
Anovulation: How It Impacts Your Ability to Conceive
Anovulation is defined simply as the failure to ovulate and is a common cause of infertility issues. While the definition is simple, causes may be less so. Anovulation is often treatable using a number of therapies, from natural fertility supplements (like FertilAid for Women [1]) and fertility acupuncture to prescription fertility drugs, depending on the exact nature of the diagnosis.
Anovulation and ovulatory disorders are commonly caused by imbalances or deficiencies among the reproductive hormones. Hormonal balance is central to ovulation and a healthy, regular cycle. The interaction of reproductive hormones is very complex as a woman passes through the different phases of her menstrual cycle. The early or follicular phase of the ovulatory cycle is dominated by estrogen while the luteal phase (after ovulation) is dominated by progesterone. However, there are many other reproductive hormones that participate in the dynamic of a healthy cycle, including FSH and LH. For more on how the reproductive hormones function, please click here [2].
In classifying and determining causes for ovulation disorders, the World Health Organization has defined a system that employs three basic parameters to determine fundamental causes of dysfunction. These measurable parameters include: Levels of endogenous prolactin, Levels of gonadotropins (LH and FSH) and Levels of estrogens.
Most women (around 97%) experiencing anovulation fall into the second category below. The remainder fall under category 1. For more information, links are provided to pages dedicated to explaining and defining each issue below.
Many women experiencing anovulation report success with FertilAid for Women [1].
| 1. Hypothalamic-pituitary failure | Amenorrhoeic [3] (non-menstruating) patients with no evidence of estrogen production; non-elevated prolactin levels, low FSH levels [4] , no detectable space-occupying lesion in the hypothalamic-pituitary region. |
| 2. Hypothalamic- pituitary dysfunction | Patients with a variety of menstrual cycle disturbances (e.g. LPD or luteal phase defect [5], anovulatory cycles [3], anovulatory polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS [3], and amenorrhoea/non-menstruating) with evidence of endogenous estrogen production, and normal prolactin and FSH levels. |
- To learn more about reproductive hormones [2] click here.
- To return to infertility issues [6], please click here [6].
- Ovulatory disorder [7] introduction, click here [7].