Stress and Infertility
Not always is stress detrimental to our well-being. A little dose of stress can help us respond positively to life’s challenges, making us stay focused, active and protect us from any physical or perceived danger to our existence. But when it becomes overwhelming and takes control of one’s life dispositions, then it can be totally detrimental to one’s existence and functions.
Stress can cause mental, physical, physiological and emotional disruption to one’s well-being. It can manifest in our body in a variety of ways; raised blood pressure and other illnesses, tension headaches, lack of concentration at home and at work, short attention span, fear and sometimes complete breakdown of one’s personality. One’s interpersonal relationships can significantly suffer including love affairs.
Stress may be an underlying / contributory factor to infertility. It can negatively affect a couple’s relationship, reduces libido and frequency of sexual intercourse. It also brings along ill health which can worsens infertility and may diminish success rates after fertility treatments.
There are a number of stress reducing therapies out there that are acceptable and can be tried. Of importance to note, is the fact that some of the research evidence to support these therapies are neither robust nor evidence-based. These include acupuncture, yoga, physical exercise and herbal therapies to reduce stress, boost fertility and thereby improve treatment successes.
Stress reduction counselling is pivotal to success in medicare, and infertility is not left out. The importance of diligent, factual and evidence-based counselling in fertility treatment cannot be overemphasised.
At Fertility Assyst we take this seriously and is one of our first line of action to infertility treatment. This has reflected positively in our treatment outcomes. We work together with the couple undergoing fertility evaluations and treatments in the planning and execution of the prescribed, most times individualized treatment modalities. www.fertilityassyst.com
Lateef Akinola, MBA, MSC, PHD, FRCOG