Irregular Periods: 8 Home Remedies That Might Help

Menstruation is the most essential and, again, the most neglected aspect of a woman’s life. Discussing irregular periods makes women feel conscious and uncomfortable, but if you are facing period irregularities, then consulting a healthcare professional might be a wise decision. Certain medical conditions, like pelvic inflammatory diseases, endometriosis, benign growths, and inherited blood disorders, might lead to menstrual irregularities. Again, anti-inflammatory and hormonal medications might affect menstrual bleeding. Not to forget, hormonal imbalances are one of the major reasons most women suffer from irregular menstruation.

While period irregularities cannot be completely cured, the symptoms can be managed with the help of professional healthcare. However, we suggest that you try out some natural remedies to regularise your menstrual cycle. Here are a few natural home remedies that might help.

Be A Yogi

Yoga can help you manage irregular periods. Practising 45 minutes of yoga for six days a week can significantly help to balance your hormones and regularise menstruation. Moreover, yoga can elevate painful periods before and during menstruation. If you are new to yoga, then consider practising for 20 minutes at the beginning. There are many videos on YouTube related to yoga that might help you kickstart your journey as a yogi!

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Excess body weight can lead to painful and irregular periods. Again, extreme weight loss can also lead to irregular menstruation. This is the reason why maintaining a moderate body weight is vital for balancing insulin levels and hormones. If you wish to reduce weight, then start practising yoga, and eating in a calorie deficit can help you shed excess fat and regulate your periods to a great extent.

Regular Exercise

If you are overweight and yoga doesn’t interest you much, consider other forms of exercise like functional training and lifting weights. However, whatever physical activity you choose, ensure that you do it daily. Exercise done daily for at least 45 minutes may reduce menstrual pain and regulate periods.

Add Ginger To Your Diet

While ginger is known to effectively alleviate period pain, many women swear that it also helps to regulate the menstrual cycle by reducing the amount of blood lost during menstruation. The benefits don’t just stop there; ginger can help with PMS symptoms, elevate your mood, and reduce the physical discomfort faced during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

Cinnamon – The Miracle Herb

Cinnamon acts like a magic pill for women suffering from menstrual symptoms. It’s a safe and natural treatment for women suffering from PCOS and can regulate the menstrual cycle effectively by reducing period pain and bleeding. You may also get relief from vomiting and nausea that are associated with primary dysmenorrhea.

Take Your Vitamins Regularly

Vitamin D can help regularise your menstrual cycle and effectively treat menstrual irregularities in people suffering from PCOS. Taking vitamin B and vitamin B-6 can also alleviate PMS symptoms to a great extent. As per studies, women who took vitamin B-6 and calcium also experienced reduced PMS symptoms.

Apple Cider Vinegar

As per research, 15 ml of apple cider vinegar daily can restore ovulatory menstruation in females suffering from PCOS. While more research is needed to validate the results, many women have reported that apple cider vinegar mixed with honey did make a difference. As apple cider has a bitter taste, taking it with honey and water can make consumption easier.

Eat Pineapple

Pineapple contains bromelain, which is an enzyme that softens the lining of the uterus and regulates your menstruation. Bromelain has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties and elevates menstrual cramps. That’s why without any doubt papaya, which is high in bromelain, is a highly popular home remedy for menstrual issues.

The Bottom Line

While these home remedies and lifestyle changes can help regulate periods, irregular menstruation cannot be completely cured but can be managed. However, if irregular periods are a cause for concern and the symptoms become too severe, consulting a healthcare professional becomes mandatory.

Ovulation Disorders Impact Fertility and The Chances of Getting Pregnant

Ovulation occurs if the ovary releases an egg and sends it to the fallopian tube for sperm fertilisation. However, when any condition interferes with the ovulation process, it can prevent the woman from getting pregnant. In fact, ovulation problems are one of the top causes of female infertility. If you are having a challenging time getting pregnant, then IRM can support your journey by diagnosing the underlying problem. You will be screened for ovulation disorders, and if any abnormalities are found, then a fertility expert can help you with the right treatment.

Normal Ovulation

The ovaries have thousands of fluid-filled follicles, and each of them holds a premature egg. Every month, when one egg matures, the follicle releases the egg and sends it to the fallopian tube. While this brief summary might sound simple, the process is complex, needs perfect timing, and is tightly controlled by multiple hormones. The brain releases hormones that control the reproduction process. The hormones affect the ovaries and your reproductive organs. Any issue that interrupts hormonal communication and affects hormone levels leads to ovulation disorders and infertility.

Ovulation Disorders

Any hormone that interrupts the maturation of an egg and its release during the monthly menstrual cycle causes ‘ovulation disorder’. While there are many causes of ovulatory dysfunction, the major ones are:

  • • PCOS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is caused by hormonal imbalance and is associated with obesity and insulin resistance. PCOS is regarded as one of the leading causes of female infertility.
  • • Hypothalamic Dysfunction: FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) that are produced by the pituitary gland are responsible for stimulating the monthly ovulation cycle. Both mental and physical stress, sudden weight gain and loss, and low body weight can result in hormonal imbalance, resulting in ovulation disorder.
  • • Premature Ovarian Failure: This condition is also known as primary ovarian insufficiency and can be a premature loss of eggs from the ovaries or even an autoimmune issue. This can be the result of a medical therapy like chemotherapy or a genetic condition. In such instances, the ovary does not produce eggs, and the oestrogen levels get lowered before age 40.
  • • Excess Prolactin: This condition is called hyperprolactinemia, where the pituitary glands produce excess prolactin that results in reduced oestrogen production, resulting in fertility problems. This occurs during the fallout of taking medications for another condition.

Diagnosing and Treating Ovulation Disorders

If you are not able to conceive naturally, then a visit to a fertility specialist is highly recommended. Our team of specialists usually suggests the following:

  • • Over-the-counter test kit to analyse if the LH hormone production is at an accepted level
  • • Blood tests to check prolactin and progesterone levels
  • • Ovarian reserve testing is used to determine the quality and quantity of eggs. Women over 35 have a depleted quantity of eggs.
  • • Hormone testing is used to check the levels of ovulatory hormones, along with pituitary and thyroid hormones that control the reproductive process.
  • • At times, we suggest genetic testing or laparoscopy to detect abnormalities.

The treatment for ovulation disorders depends on the cause, and while medication is the first choice, if the fertility drugs are unable to produce the desired result, then the team of fertility experts suggests IVF treatment to the couple for getting pregnant.

IRM: We Have Helped Thousands Of Couples Enjoy The Bliss Of Parenthood

At IRM, we help treat ovulation disorders by undertaking a wholesome approach. Our team advises medication for regulating the menstrual cycle or offers IVF treatment along with lifestyle management programmes to manage the disorder. We tailor your treatment plan depending on the cause of the ovarian disorder. Connect with our team of fertility experts to learn more and get an effective, customised treatment plan.

Naturally Fixing Fertility Issues: Scientific Ways to Conceive Without Popping Pills

While many people might suggest various kinds of quick fixes that can help you get pregnant, there is little scientific evidence behind them. Many women have crossed their prime by following unscientific tips and tricks that claim to resolve fertility issues in females. Lifestyle changes and sexual practices are definitely related to fertility, but expert opinion coming from a reliable source like the IRM is ideal to resolve cases of female infertility. One can naturally get pregnant without popping pills and however visiting a women’s fertility clinic for expert opinion can be a game changer for many.

Age Is A Factor

Age is just a number, but it’s vital to consider before you go for the female fertility test. Women in their 20s and 30s conceive within the first six months of an attempted pregnancy. However, after the age of 40, the probability of getting pregnant is reduced to half. Fertility declines with age for both women and men. Pregnancy after the age of 40 is rare, and complications like aneuploidy and miscarriage are quite common. As per fertility tests conducted for women, it has been observed that after the age of 35, the chances of getting pregnant diminish. However, male fertility starts to decline after 50. Infertility is definitely a disease, as even after unprotected vaginal intercourse and repeated attempts, the couple fails to conceive.

Fertility Window

A woman needs to be aware of her ovulation cycle before she deems herself infertile and books an appointment with a doctor for fertility tests for women. Sexual activity during the ovulation phase can increase the chances of conception, whereas the luteal phase and follicular phase are not that effective, and the probability of conceiving is low. However, a certified doctor at IRM can help you identify your fertility window and make the right call. Every woman is different, and so are her hormones and her menstrual cycle. Before rushing for an IVF fertility treatment, consider asking a healthcare practitioner at IRM about the fertility window. Most of our clients have benefited by embracing this natural and proven scientific method and have conceived the baby in the shortest span of time.

Things That Can Affect Your Fertility Health:

  • • Extremely thin and obese women have low chances of getting pregnant and suffer from female infertility.
  • • Try following a ‘fertility diet’ from a women’s fertility clinic like us to increase your chances of conceiving. Higher consumption of monounsaturated fats, vegetables, low-glycemic carbohydrates, iron from plants, low-fat dairy, and multivitamins is essential to boosting fertility health.
  • • Smoking causes miscarriages and should be avoided by women. Not only that, even men should avoid smoking, as it decreases sperm density and causes abnormalities in sperm morphology.
  • • High levels of caffeine can cause miscarriage and be the reason for congenital anomalies. Limit the caffeine intake if you want the adverse effects to impact your fertility and pregnancy outcomes.
  • • Alcohol abuse can lead to sexual dysfunction in both men and women and have a detrimental effect on your chances of getting pregnant.
  • • Exposure to environmental elements like polychlorinated biphenyls can impact fertility in women.

When All Else Fails: IVF Fertility Treatment Can Save the Day!

While natural remedies and methods are all great, they are not 100% applicable. Stress, food habits, and lifestyle also play a great role in fertility issues faced by both men and women. However, it’s recommended to seek IVF fertility treatment in Kolkata rather than relying on natural tips and tricks alone. Your natural fixes might take years to work and might not give any results at all. We suggest trying these natural fixes for at least six months, and if they don’t help you conceive, then visiting a doctor and getting IVF fertility treatment is a wise decision.

Is Obesity The Real Reason For Male Infertility?

Obesity is a silent killer. Obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher when excess fat accumulation on the body results in affecting the health of the individual and potentially reducing their lifespan. People are conscious that obesity might alter their physical appearance, but it damages much more in the long run by disrupting one’s hormones. One such negative impact of obesity is low fertility in men. All this time, people were talking about the negative effects of obesity in women that’s impacting fertility, but now it has been discovered that your male partner’s weight issues can result in low semen count and low motile results, causing problems in conception.

As per a study conducted by AIIMS, it has been reported that over 12 to 18 million couples in India are facing fertility issues, and for almost 50% of the cases, male fertility is the reason. Obesity can decrease coital frequency, suppress testosterone levels, and cause erectile dysfunction. However, some people are still sceptical about how obesity can cause male infertility, which is why in this blog we discuss how obesity is linked with low fertility in men.

Obesity Can Affect Sexual Behaviour

As per studies, it has been observed that obese men are less interested in engaging in sexual activities as compared to males with an average weight. This is because obesity lowers testosterone hormones, which boost sex drive. In fact, doctors believe that even a 4-inch increase in waist size can lead to a whopping 75% decrease in testosterone levels. This means obese men might avoid sexual intercourse, and it negatively affects their behaviour towards sex. Furthermore, obesity leads to erectile dysfunction as the blood vessels are damaged, causing inflammation in the body. All these factors, added together, negatively affect the sexual behaviour of obese men.

Obesity Leads To A Low Sperm Count

A big waistline might mean a low semen count in men. Healthy men with an ideal body weight have a high sperm count compared to their obese counterparts. Obese men have high oestrogen levels and low testosterone levels. The hormonal imbalance leads to a low semen count, thereby affecting fertility in obese men.

Obesity Affects The Scrotal Temperature

Excess heat is one of the basic causes of male infertility, and obese men tend to have a high scrotal temperature, leading to infertility. The sperm cells require a precise environment inside the body for growth, and the ideal temperature needs to be two or four degrees lower than your body temperature. When it comes to obese men, it has been noticed that the thigh and groyne areas have more fat tissues, which increases the temperature of the testicles, thereby leading to a low semen count and low-quality sperm that causes infertility in men.

IRM: Your Salvation From Infertility Issues

When a couple is unable to conceive because of hormonal issues or obesity, they seek male infertility treatment in Kolkata, and IRM comes into the picture. Weight loss can help, but a male infertility doctor in Kolkata can give you valuable input to make the journey simpler, easier, and faster. At IRM, you can get effective, fast, and reliable male infertility treatment in Kolkata under the guidance of the best male infertility doctor in Kolkata. Connect with us for an over-the-call consultation to start your fruitful and fertile journey with us!

All You Need to Learn About Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a painful condition that can have an impact on your everyday life. It’s a disease where the lining of the uterus starts growing outside the uterus. This condition causes severe pain in the pelvis region and makes it harder for a woman to get pregnant. Endometriosis can start during the first menstrual period and last until menopause. The cause of this condition is unknown, which means we are still in the dark and don’t know how to prevent endometriosis. As there is no cure, you can treat the symptoms and get endometriosis pain relief with proper medication and, in some cases, surgery.

IRM (Indian Institute of Reproductive Medicine) conducts several campaigns free of charge to raise awareness of this issue. If you want to treat this chronic inflammatory condition, then our knowledgeable and skilled team of doctors can help you with effective endometriosis supportive therapy. Here are the most common lesion types that can occur:

1. Cystic ovarian endometriosis that’s found in the ovaries—endometrioma

2. Superficial endometriosis of the pelvic peritoneum

3. Endometriosis outside the pelvis

4. Deep endometriosis in the bladder, bowel, and recto-vaginal septum

The Most Common Symptoms of Endometriosis

During your menstrual cycle, endometriosis can cause severe pain in the pelvis. Things might aggravate, and pain during sex or even while using the bathroom might occur. However, surprisingly, some women with endometriosis do not have any of the symptoms. The most common symptom, if at all, might be pain in the lower part of the belly (that is, the pelvis). The pain is noticeable.

1. During or after sexual activity

2. During the menstrual cycle

3. During urination or when defecating

However, some people might also experience:

1. Heavy bleeding during menstruation

2. Chronic pelvic pain

3. Bloating and nausea

4. Depression or anxiety

5. Fatigue

6. Trouble while getting pregnant

These symptoms might improve after menopause; however, it’s not always the case. The endometriosis symptoms are broad and variable, which is why an endometriosis healthcare professional needs to be consulted.

Impact of Endometriosis

Endometriosis has significant implications. Due to severe pain, it can decrease the quality of your life. The debilitating pain prevents individuals from carrying on with their daily activities, like going to school or work. Painful sex can make them avoid any kind of sexual activity that affects their relationship with their partner. Addressing endometriosis is vital to empower women to lead a pain-free and stress-free life with the highest standards of reproductive and sexual health, thereby enhancing their own well-being.

Prevention and Diagnosis

While there is currently no cure as the cause of endometriosis is still unknown, early diagnosis might help in managing the symptoms and providing some relief to the individual.

When diagnosing the disease, a history of chronic pelvic pain and menstrual symptoms are evaluated. Several screening tools and tests are tested and proposed for diagnosing the ailment, but none of them can predict with accuracy. However, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and ultrasonography are some of the tests that can help determine the condition. Apart from that, histologic or laparoscopic confirmation can be extremely helpful in confirming endometriosis.

Endometriosis Treatment

As said above, there is no cure, but endometriosis treatment can manage the symptoms of the disease. The treatment and medications need to be managed based on the severity of the symptoms. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal medications, contraceptive pills, and painkillers are given to tackle the pain and have proved to be the best pain relief for endometriosis.

However, if the patient is planning a pregnancy, then fertility procedures and medicines can help. Surgery is sometimes suggested to remove the endometriosis lesions, scar tissue, and adhesions.

Whatever your call, discuss the treatment options with a reputed healthcare provider before starting your journey to a better and more fulfilling life.

Manage endometriosis with IRM! Connect with our doctors today!

April – Adenomyosis Awareness Month

Adenomyosis might look like a common uterine disorder, but very few people have a clear understanding of its symptoms and aetiology. Most of the symptoms of adenomyosis overlap with those of endometriosis, which makes the diagnosis really challenging. April is the month for Adenomyosis Awareness and it’s time to raise awareness about this condition so that women can get proper adenomyosis treatment to deal with the condition and manage the symptoms better for leading a better quality life.

What is Adenomyosis All About?

When it comes to adenomyosis, the endometrial cells begin to grow inside the uterine wall muscle and cause damage to the walls, leading to uterus enlargement. Most of the patients suffering from adenomyosis are asymptomatic, but there are some who suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding, miscarriages, infertility, and severe recurrent pain.

Why is Raising Awareness of Adenomyosis Important?

Severe pain and heavy bleeding during periods aren’t normal. Often, they are advised that this pain will subside on its own and that there isn’t a reason to panic. However, it’s far from the truth. Again, many are advised to go for a hysterectomy to treat adenomyosis. This is a true fact, even if the uterus is beyond repair, but in most cases, adenomyosis doesn’t require uterine removal.

At times, endometriosis and adenomyosis co-exist. Removal of the uterus or conducting adenomyosis surgery might not alleviate the symptoms of fibrosis and endometriosis that develop in the extra-pelvic and pelvic regions as well. That’s why generating awareness about adenomyosis is important so that women get diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, and much is done to improve the approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

How are We Generating Awareness About Adenomyosis?

IRM (Institute of Reproductive Medicine) conducts free programmes for community participation to effectively generate awareness about this condition. This is the need of the hour, as many women are unaware whether or not they are suffering from this condition. Awareness can help them realise the problem and deal with the condition by balancing the symptoms under proper treatment.

From organising local events to engaging in social media platforms, IRM networks spread the message. We have people sharing their personal stories and helping women understand how they need to make a move to understand their bodies and start the adenomyosis treatment options as soon as possible.

Many eminent personalities are part of our support groups to help and impress the locals about the need to deal with adenomyosis at the earliest possible date. Public health matters, which is why April is the month for Adenomyosis Awareness.

Now women can come together to recognise and identify the symptoms of this condition and get referred to a clinician for further tests to confirm and obtain a diagnosis so that the treatment can begin.

Diagnosis and Treatment at IRM

Although difficult to diagnose, a definitive conclusion can be drawn based on physical examination, history, and investigations, like a pelvic MRI scan or transvaginal ultrasound scan. For adenomyosis treatment for fertility, we suggest anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce heavy bleeding and cramping. Hormonal treatments are also recommended to manage the symptoms effectively. Whatever your call, before taking medicines, reach out to IRM for the best treatment for adenomyosis.

Suffering from adenomyosis? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the professional healthcare providers at IRM. Health is wealth and should not be ignored or compromised at any cost.