Lifestyle in failure of conception
Lifestyle is an important factor that can affect fertility in both men and women. Lifestyle choices such as nutrition, weight, exercise, stress, smoking, alcohol, drugs, and environmental exposures can influence hormone levels, ovulation, sperm quality, and pregnancy outcomes. Some lifestyle factors can reduce the chances of conceiving naturally or with assisted reproductive technologies (ART), while others can improve fertility and overall health.
Some examples of lifestyle factors that can affect fertility are:
- Nutrition: Eating a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and dairy products can provide the essential nutrients for reproductive function. Avoiding excess intake of sugar, salt, caffeine, and processed foods can also help maintain a healthy weight and hormone balance.
- Weight: Being overweight or underweight can impair ovulation and menstrual cycles in women, and sperm production and quality in men. Achieving a healthy weight can improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes. A healthy weight is defined by a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9
- Exercise: Moderate physical activity can benefit fertility by reducing stress, improving blood circulation, and regulating hormone levels. However, excessive or strenuous exercise can have negative effects on fertility by disrupting ovulation and menstrual cycles in women, and lowering testosterone and sperm quality in men. A moderate exercise routine is recommended for about 30 minutes a day, five times a week.
- Stress: Psychological stress can interfere with fertility by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls the release of hormones involved in reproduction. Chronic stress can also impair the immune system, increase inflammation, and reduce libido. Managing stress through relaxation techniques, counseling, or support groups can help improve fertility and well-being.
- Smoking: Smoking tobacco or marijuana can harm fertility by damaging the DNA of eggs and sperm, reducing the number and quality of eggs and sperm, affecting hormone levels, and increasing the risk of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and birth defects. Quitting smoking can improve fertility and health in both men and women.
- Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can affect fertility by altering hormone levels, impairing ovulation and sperm production, reducing the quality and quantity of eggs and sperm, and increasing the risk of miscarriage, fetal alcohol syndrome, and preterm delivery. Limiting or avoiding alcohol intake can improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes in both men and women.
- Drugs: Illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy can impair fertility by affecting hormone levels, ovulation and sperm production, egg and sperm quality, and implantation. Prescription drugs such as opioids, antidepressants, and antihistamines can also have negative effects on fertility by altering hormone levels, libido, and erectile function. Avoiding or reducing drug use can improve fertility and health in both men and women .
- Environmental exposures: Exposure to certain chemicals, metals, radiation, or heat can affect fertility by disrupting hormone levels, damaging the DNA of eggs and sperm, reducing the number and quality of eggs and sperm, and increasing the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, and cancer
