Posts Tagged ‘Medical Problems’
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
The term “varicoceles” may not be a household word, but for men, having the condition can lead to male infertility, among other medical problems.
Simply put, varicoceles are enlarged veins located in the testicles. (Think of the term “varicose veins”, which has a similar sound to it as “varicoceles” due to the etymology of the words.) Those enlarged veins cause a noticeable, soft, lumpy mass. They also contribute to conception difficulties. And a recent release from top U.S. researchers suggests that varicoceles may even stifle testosterone production, leading to other issues like depression, higher risk of heart attack and more.
So how many males have this condition? Some researchers suggest the figure could be as high as 15%, though a large number of men have no idea that they are afflicted with the condition. The onset of varicoceles seems to be puberty, but may come at any time during a man’s life.
Typically, until intense discomfort or male infertility symptoms arise, varicoceles aren’t touched, though a cadre of surgeons is pushing for men to address their varicoceles with a varicocelectomy. (Interestingly, physicians are more concerned with the low levels of testosterone associated with varicoceles than with fertility issues.) Varicoceles can be addressed using microsurgical techniques which have been proven to be lower in risk than ever before and quite effective.
If you’re concerned that you or your partner could have varicoceles, it’s important to contact your primary doctor and/or a reputable fertility specialist like those at Philadelphia area’s RSI clinic.
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Tags: Abraham Munabi, conception difficulties, Dr. Munabi, Etymology, Facebook, Fertility Issues, fertility specialist, Heart Attack, Household Word, Infertility, Male Infertility, Medical Problems, Philadelphia Area, Puberty, Reproductive Science Institute, Risk Of Heart Attack, Rsi, Similar Sound, Testicles, Twitter, Varicocelectomy, Varicoceles, Varicose Veins
Posted in Male Infertility | No Comments »
Monday, March 14th, 2011
Despite the fact that excellent fertility information is available online and in research papers, plenty of people are still buying into fertility myths and misconceptions.
That’s why we’ve decided to provide a little fertility information of our own in order to help you understand the topic area better.
Myth #1: Just Relax and You’ll Get Pregnant
One piece of fertility information that drives reproductive health specialists crazy is the notion that relaxation alone will guarantee pregnancy. In fact, this “home remedy advice” is touted left and right.
It would be great if this were true… but it’s simply not. The majority of cases of infertility have their roots in medical problems/issues. So while it IS a terrific idea to adopt a relaxed attitude when possible, it’s also necessary to contact a fertility specialist if you and your partner are struggling to conceive naturally.
Myth #2: Fertility Treatments are Always Going to Cost a Bundle
Until you know what kind of fertility treatment is right for you, there’s honestly no way to know exactly how much you’ll pay.
Do some individuals and couples end up paying more than others? Of course. But every situation is highly unique; yours may be one that requires a small investment in a drug like Clomid or a higher investment in a procedure such as IVF or IUI. But to assume that you “can’t afford” fertility treatments until you know the facts isn’t a smart way to approach your reproductive health.
In an upcoming post we’ll tackle fertility information myths three through five… see you then!
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Tags: Clomid, Couples, Fertility Issues, Fertility Myths, fertility specialist, Fertility Treatment, Fertility Treatments, Home Remedy, Infertility, IUI, IVF, Medical Problems, Misconceptions, Myth 2, Myths, Notion, One Piece, Relaxation, Relaxed Attitude, Reproductive Health Specialists, Reproductive Science Institute, Research Papers, Rsi, Terrific Idea
Posted in Infertility, Myths & Misconceptions | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
It’s been all around the Intrawebs and media sites have gobbled up the headline: Women Gets Pregnant Using iPhone!
To be sure, it’s a great “hook”. But when you actually read the report, you’ll discover that what she did was download an app that helped her chart her ovulation. It’s actually not anything new — women have been using this method of natural fertility awareness for centuries. However, it may give false hope to some individuals.
To be sure, there is nothing wrong with measuring your temperature or charting your menstrual periods to determine your most “fertile” points of the month. But there may be hidden factors to infertility that cannot be addressed or uncovered when using this method:
- The fertility issue may not be on the woman’s part. Up to 40% of couples experiencing infertility discover that the male – not the female — is the one with the fertility concerns.
- The woman may not be ovulating or ovulating regularly despite the occurrence of menses. This means that although she is having a period, she’s not really fertile or may be only fertile a small percentage of the time.
- The woman may have other medical problems of which she’s unaware. Without a complete examination including tests, the source of the couple’s fertility problems may not be apparent if they only use a natural form of charting fertility.
Our recommendation? If, after using a non-medical method to chart fertility (like the i-Phone app) you are unable to get pregnant within 6 months, it’s time to see a reproductive science specialist. That way, you’ll be wasting no time.
By the same token, we congratulate the couple for achieving their goal!
RSI… helping miracles happen.
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Tags: cell phone, Centuries, Complete Examination, False Hope, Fertility Issue, Fertility Problems, Hidden Factors, Hook, Infertility, Iphone, Medical Method, Medical Problems, Menstrual Periods, Miracles, Natural Fertility Awareness, Occurrence, Ovulation, Pregnant, Reproductive Science, Science Specialist, Token
Posted in In the News | No Comments »
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
If you’re a man who’s experiencing infertility issues, you might want to drop the bottled water habit or at least switch to drinking only from BPA-free bottles.
BPA (Bisphenol A) is a chemical often used in the manufacture of plastic bottles. When people are exposed to high levels of BPA, they may suffer from a host of medical problems, including infertility. This appears to especially be true in the area of male infertility.
Of course, if you can’t be certain whether or not your bottled water has been contaminated with BPA, it may be wise to go the old-fashioned route: Buy a BPA-free container and enjoy a cool sip of tap water as your drink of choice.
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Tags: Bisphenol A, Bottled Water, Bpa Free Bottles, Fall Newsletter, Free Container, Habit, Infertility, Infertility Issues, Male Infertility, Medical Problems, Miracles, Plastic Bottles, Plastic People, Sip, Tap Water
Posted in Male Infertility | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
A recent article from the UK’s Birmingham Post did an excellent job of explaining why women who have been able to conceive naturally without fertility treatments may one day find themselves dealing with infertility.
In the story, the author discusses the experiences of Sarah Jessica Parker, the Hollywood star who recently discovered that she was no longer able to become pregnant even though she had conceived without problems previously.
The phenomenon, “secondary infertility,” can happen for a number of reasons including the age of the woman, a switch in partners and potential medical problems. Regardless of the “whys”, it can still be a devastating experience for any couple who assumed they would be able to naturally conceive.
The upshot, though, is that there are alternatives for women who want to have children, including fertility treatments. Although becoming pregnant may take a bit longer than expected, in many cases, it can still be a reality.
Tags: Appointment, Birmingham Post, dealing with infertility, Experiences, Fertility Issues, Fertility Treatments, Giving Birth, Hollywood, Hollywood Star, Infertility, Infertility Website, Job, Medical Problems, Phenomenon, Pregnant, Recent Article, Rsi, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Parker, secondary fertility, Secondary Infertility, Upshot, Whys
Posted in Fertility Issues In the News, secondary fertility | No Comments »
