It’s important to take care of your health for a multitude of reasons. It can protect you from developing potentially serious health conditions as well as your chance to conceive later in life. While the effects of some illnesses can be treated, for others it cannot. Women especially have a hard time as once their egg reserve diminishes; those eggs cannot be replaced.
Weight
Being both underweight and overweight can create health concerns. Those that are overweight or obese (with a BMI of 30 or over) are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This condition is linked to infertility issues in both men and women. Conditions such as erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism are more common in men with diabetes which make for a harder time conceiving. Women with the condition have an increased risk of premature menopause. For females that are either underweight or overweight, periods can become irregular, and anovulation can take occur. This is where eggs cannot be released from the ovaries during the menstrual cycle.
Smoking
Aside from diet, other lifestyle choices can impact fertility such as smoking. When smoking, a person injects harmful chemicals. Nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide notably increase the rate at which eggs are depleted and women reach menopause. This is thought to be 1 to 4 years ahead of time. Sperm quality and mobility also deteriorates in men who smoke.
Sexual Health
Your sexual health is also a key component in conceiving a child and something with which you should always take precautions to protect. Practising safe sex can protect you from sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia. Infections like these can damage the reproductive system of both men and women, reducing their chance to get pregnant and start a family.
These are just a few ways in which general health can affect fertility. If you would like to learn more about your health in particular with regards to fertility, feel free to get in touch.
