january, 2019 | The Health
Fertility journey
can actually block the fallopian tubes and
halt fertility in women. The third way, is
that it can actually lessen the quality of
the eggs themselves. We have compared
two women of the same age undergoing
IVF. One had endometriosis, and we’ve
found that her eggs were of lesser quality
than the one without endometriosis.”
Treatment
The treatment for the condition depends
on what the bearer wants to achieve.
Based on the symptoms, one may only
want the period pain to stop, while others
want to have a child (and stop the pain as
well if they have it).
“If the infertility is caused by an ovar-
ian cyst, which we think may hurt egg
production, then we will need to remove
it through laparoscopic surgery. This will
suppress the condition long enough to
make way for her to get pregnant.”
“If the goal is to simply stop the pain,
there are a few options. One is hormonal
treatment in the form of contraceptive
pills. This will halt any ovarian activity
and no period pain. Another one is to
start her on long term painkillers, usually
taken a day before period and continue to
take throughout to numb the pain.”
“The third option is suppression
through injection. This is more tempo-
rary, and will usually prescribed to older
women who are facing menopause soon.
It’s kind of like buying them time before
menopause.”
“And lastly, is to remove the uterus
altogether. Women with no plans to
have any more children, and are 45 and
above, could find this option viable.” – The
Health
Women affected by PCOS
PCOS affects women of all age groups from
birth till they die.
“Of course, the major part we are talk-
ing about is the reproductive life from
adolescents till mid-40s, but the disease
doesn’t stop there,” says Paul.
“Women with PCOS tend to have a
low birth weight and would have reached
puberty early. Despite this, they tend to
overeat – resulting in becoming overweight
when they reach adolescents. They would
also experience irregular menstruation,
while seeing more body hair on the face.
This would be similar to male features -
such as baldness in the scalp, hair on the
arms and legs.”
As they reach adulthood, married
and wanting to have a baby – they
would find that there are fertility issues.
They tend to have more pregnancy
complications like gestational diabetes.
Towards 45 years old and above, diabetic
type 2 starts to kick in. There is also a
higher chance of these women suffering
from high cholesterol and cardiovascular
disorder. – The Health
Ovarian
failure in
women
30 and 40
years old
17
17
flushes at night. For some ladies, the topic of pregnancy is
rather difficult. Although they may have intercourse, they
aren’t comfortable. This is yet another side effect of an
ovarian failure.”
Ovarian failure is curable
“Ovarian failure can be cured. In Western
medication, hormone therapy is prescribed, but the body
has to get used to this treatment. Western medicine
may work for a very short period of time but if the flow
is still less, it may not be able to cure fertility
problems.”
“The other alternative would be working on healthy
eating habits, lifestyle, relieving the stress combined
with Chinese herbs to neutralise the body. This
should be done by consulting with a registered physician and
consuming the right supplement. If you do not have a proper
eating habit and are very selective, then you may experience
nutrient deficiency resulting in energy loss.”
Ovaries
“Ovaries releases oestrogen and progesterone. They both
help each other. If the oestrogen is of lower quality, when
you ovulate, these hormone doesn’t help to release your
egg. In fact, if you have a low estrogenic level, then you may
have diabetes, cholesterol and a low libido as well as bone
problems. If the hormones doesn’t help, you may be unable
to ovulate, hence unable to conceive. If the hormones aren’t
good enough, your progesterone is not good enough.”
“Oestrogen levels must be maintained. If it is too high, it
can also cause the progesterone to be effected and not come
out. Meanwhile, if the progesterone level is high, it causes
fibroids in the uterus as well as breast problem.”
Poor nutrition and
stress a leading factor
Good nutritional intake
By Dr Terrenz H’ng
O
varian failure or what we call an earlier
menopause, may be experienced by
women as early as 30 or 40 years of age,”
explains Verdure Healthcare Consultancy
Infertility Consultant Dr Terrenz H’ng.
She attributes ovarian failure to work
stress and pressure that effects most
women today causing them to neglect their health with poor
eating habits as well as bad lifestyle choices.
“Apart from that, a botched D&C on those who have
experienced a miscarriage or the removal of the uterus prior
to pregnancy are all reasons for an ovarian failure.”
However, 80 per cent of ovarian failures can be improved
with good nutritional intake.
“I advise women who want to conceive and those who
have reached 45 – 50 years old to have a balanced diet con-
sisting of meat, vegetables, fruits, beans and to drink eight
to 10 cups of water every day. Exercise at least three times
a week to boost your immune system. Get enough sleep
and speak to friends, visit the theatres or listen to music to
destress.”
“I also recommend women who are working to take
household chores as an exercise – and do whatever
when you have the time and not be stressed by it. If the
situation worsen, consult with a registered physician.” – The
Health
Genetic factors
“Yes, I have come across a case many years ago
when a 26-year-old patient told me that her
mother had earlier menopause at the age of 40
while her aunty – at the age of 36. But the reason
why she reached an earlier menopause when she
was only 26 was because she used to diet for four
months, where she only ate fruits, and wasn’t
on a normal nutritional diet. However, since she
visited and followed through her treatment, she
was able to conceive and later gave birth to a son.”
Terrenz disclosed that in the past 10
years, she has come across numerous
cases where women aged younger than
40 years old suffer from poor menstrual
flow.
“When this happens, the lady would be very
temperamental, they are unhappy and are easy
to fall into depression and would experience hot
The illustration shows symptoms of earlier menopause.