Couples struggle to get pregnant due to various fertility issues. Low egg quality is one of the prominent causes of fertility problems. Stress is a significant factor that dramatically affects egg quality. Stress not only affects your mental and physical health but also affects fertility. Your body goes through a lot of changes due to stress. It also reduces the quality of eggs the ovary releases, which is crucial for conception. This article highlights how stress affects egg quality and your overall reproductive health. Learn about the ways to manage stress and improve egg quality.
The egg released by the ovary plays a crucial role in conception. The quality of the egg decides the chance of fertilisation and conception. The ovaries must release healthy, high-quality eggs for successful fertilisation and embryo development. Several factors, including food, age, and stress, impact egg quality and reduce the chance of conception.
You may notice poor egg quality due to stress with the following signs:
Stress is a crucial factor that significantly influences the quality of eggs. Research reveals that stress impacts ovarian health, resulting in the release of low-quality eggs that inhibit conception. Women suffering from chronic stress indeed suffer from low egg quality, thereby facing trouble getting pregnant. Thus, stress and fertility are closely associated, making it essential to manage stress if you wish to get pregnant.
Women suffering from stress are likely to produce eggs of poor quality for the following reasons:
Causes Hormonal Imbalance: Stress is a crucial factor that induces the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone that affects ovarian function and disrupts the hormonal balance, which is essential for ovulation and egg development.
Affects Your Ovarian Function: Stress spikes cortisol levels, which interferes with the communication between the brain and ovaries. This impacts ovulation and leads to an irregular menstrual cycle. Failure to release eggs can decrease the chance of conception.
Difficulty in Implantation: Chronic stress impacting the uterine lining, which results in difficulty in implantation.
Increases the Levels of Cortisol: Increased levels of cortisol result in oxidative stress and inflammation, which negatively affects egg quality. Contributes to Oxidative Stress: Stress results in oxidative stress, which is nothing but an imbalance between the secretion of reactive oxygen species and the ability to detoxify them. The oxidative stress in the follicular fluid affects the quality of the oocyte.
When you suffer from fertility issues due to stress, it is always better to seek professional help. Your healthcare provider can help you with the right treatment plan to improve your egg quality and manage stress. They will perform tests to detect hormonal imbalances and assess your ovarian function. Based on the results of the evaluation, the fertility specialist may come up with a personalised treatment plan to improve egg quality.
It is possible to improve your egg quality and thereby increase your chance of getting pregnant. Consulting a fertility specialist can be the first step, as they can help you determine the exact reason for low egg quality. The next step will be to follow some corrective actions based on the findings. This usually involves changing your diet patterns to include any particular nutrients or minerals that may help your body improve the egg quality.
There are various ways to manage your stress when you are trying to get pregnant with low egg quality. These stress management techniques work wonders and help you improve your egg quality. Follow the below techniques to manage stress:
Engage in Regular Physical Activity: Physical activities are a great way to manage stress and stay healthy. Regular exercise, such as walking, swimming, cycling, etc., can help you cope with stress and anxiety.
Practice Yoga and Meditation: Yoga and meditation can help you deal with stress. These stress-relieving activities calm your mind and decrease the secretion of the cortisol hormone, resulting in hormonal balance. Deep breathing exercises can also help you rejuvenate your mind.
Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle: Simple lifestyle changes, including eating a balanced diet, avoiding highly processed foods and quitting alcohol and smoking, can help you manage stress and improve your ovarian function.
Take Ample Rest: Sleep can help restore your body and mind. Ensure you sleep enough daily to ease stress and improve your ovarian health.
Seek Support: It is good to seek professional support when suffering from stress and anxiety. Join support groups where you can interact with people who have gone through stress and depression. They can help you out with ways to reduce stress and improve reproductive health.
Prioritise Self-Care: Women must take time to take care of their health. Their physical and mental health is important for their overall health. Eating a nutritious diet, spending time with their loved ones, and being involved in activities of their interest can help them manage stress and improve their reproductive health.
Low egg quality in women has become common in recent years, decreasing the odds of conception. Stress, a vital factor, is closely associated with egg quality in women. You may notice menstrual irregularities and mood swings due to stress and low egg quality. By managing stress effectively and making positive lifestyle changes, you can improve your egg quality and boost your chances of conception. If stress-related fertility issues persist, consult a reproductive specialist for personalised guidance.