Fertility Hindrances in Diabetic Men & Women
“Infertility has plethora of sources; Diabetes is one of them. Yes! diabetes is one of the factors contributing in infertility. Know what is it and how it gets one down to infertility!”
Usually, in fit and healthy body, the hormone insulin is produced by pancreas gland which is present in abdomen. The released hormones regulate the level of blood glucose. Diabetes is caused because of dysfunction of the gland when it fails to regulate level of blood sugar appropriately. Consequently, its level become high and leads to hyperglycemia. A few times, the body doesn’t produce insulin enough to control glucose therefore sugar stores in the blood. It is recognized as diabetes and over time it causes various health problems.
Every so often, food habits also impact the health especially unhealthy and junk food hands out obesity and gain in weight, insulin resistance in return causes both diabetes and infertility. Infertility can totally affect your potency to get successful and healthy pregnancy. Not only women, but diabetic men also contribute in complicated pregnancy. When the diabetes is not treated on time, it may increase the chances of risk in getting pregnant, complication in pregnancy, miscarriages and still births, cesarean delivery, improper growth of fetus, preterm birth. Even if the father is diabetic, then it may be passed on to the baby.
How diabetes affects female fertility?
As per study, type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes creates adverse effect on women’s fertility such as irregular menstrual cycle, delayed puberty, ability to get pregnant, successful complete-term gestation and childbirth
- Decreased libido: narrows down the sexual desire on the ground of depression, fatigue and anxiety. Experience pain during intercourse due to less vaginal lubrication.
- Complicated pregnancy: Extreme level of blood sugar can lead to miscarriage or birth defects, also increase level of glucose can lead to macrosomia i.e., big baby syndrome.
- UTI Urinary Tract Infection: women with diabetes may suffer from infection and damage to reproductive organs such as fallopian tube
- Anti-body sperm: Diabetes release some antibodies which kills or keep the egg from the egg to get mingled
- Irregular menstrual cycle: Diabetic women may experience disturbance in her menstrual rhythm, Longer or heavy periods, painful menses, delayed puberty
- Anovulation: Women with diabetes may experience trouble with the ovulation or complete absence of ovulation due to multiple factors such as diabetes, ovarian failure, hormonal imbalance, chronic illness
- Obesity and PCOS: Especially, type 2 diabetes along with food habit and lifestyle choices hands out diabetes if not controlled appropriately. Obesity is related with irregular menses and which has direct connection with PCOS polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Maintaining healthy weight and regular workout with a healthy diet can help you prevent diabetes a way better.
How diabetes affects male fertility?
Of course, to get healthy and successful pregnancy, there is requirement of healthy embryo. For embryo, sperm and egg are required. So, men and women are equally responsible for getting pregnant. Diabetes affects fertility of women just like that it attacks the fertility of man too.
- Decreased Libido: Men experiences fatigue, depression and less sexual desire due to lack of glucose.
- Sperm Damage: Type 1 Diabetes is concerned with elevated nuclear, mitochondrial and DNA damage that may impair the reproductive capacity of men.
- Sexual Dysfunction: it narrows down the potency in men to maintain erection which gets down to infertility
- Poor Quality of sperm: type 2 diabetes in men leads to poor concentration in semen and also affects sperm motility. Moreover, it causes structural damage to sperm
So, when couples find themselves in difficulty to get pregnant, diabetes can be one of the reasons, both the partners should get tested instead of shifting blames. Infertility counselling is available at Sneh Hospital with our well recognized fertility specialists. Connect us now to resolve your issues.