It is a fact that we do not take care of ourselves as a result of developing technology, increasing career concerns and accelerating life cycle. Especially in the hustle and bustle of city life, the thing that is most overlooked is our health. So, is it only health that is lost? As time passes and we get older, our fertility also decreases. It is also a fact that our fertility rate has decreased compared to the past. About how we can protect our fertility and what precautions we should take, Assoc. Dr. Emre G. Pabuçcu gives clues…
The number of candidate eggs in the ovaries decreases over time….
The main factor that determines women's ovarian reserves is the ovaries. sacs that we call follicles and contain egg precursors. While these are expressed in millions at birth, they decrease to hundreds of thousands in the 30s and to 1000s when entering menopause. This decrease is continuous and there is no medication that prevents it. Therefore, it is necessary to know that fertility in women decreases continuously after birth.
In whom does the decrease in reserves occur faster? What are the Risk Groups?
The average age of menopause in Turkey is 46-47. In other words, at this age, menopause occurs because there are no longer enough follicles. But in some cases, we may encounter situations where menstruation decreases or even ends before the age of 46-47. The risk increases further in the following cases:
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Age of 37 and over
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Smoking
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Having one of the ovaries removed
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Having a family history of premature menopause
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Having received radiotherapy or chemotherapy
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Using long-term medication, especially cortisone-type drugs
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Being diagnosed with endometriosis or having chocolate cysts
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Carrying some genetic diseases…
We cannot prevent the decrease in ovarian reserve….
Unfortunately, there is no medicine or vitamin to prevent the decrease in numbers. However, it is important to reduce stress in our daily lives, exercise regularly, have a balanced diet, and especially stay away from smoking. Risk factors If one or more of these are present, we recommend that you seek advice from a doctor who specializes in this field. In this way, we can get information about tests to reveal our ovarian reserve and consider the option of egg freezing in case of serious risk.
How do we calculate ovarian reserve? Who do we recommend egg freezing?
There are some tests that are done during menstruation. However, the most important test today is to count the follicles in both ovaries while menstruating. If the total number of visible follicles is below 4, there is a risk. Another important test is Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH). This test can also be performed outside the menstrual period, and if the value is below 1 ng/ml, the reserve can be interpreted as low. However, it should not be forgotten that it is not correct to make a comment with just one ultrasound or AMH test. It is necessary to repeat the tests every 4 weeks and take precautions if we encounter the same decreased values.
If there is a decreased reserve, how is the egg freezing process done?
If there is no chance of having children in the near future and there is a significant decrease in reserves, egg freezing can be done within the framework of legal regulations. There are competent and experienced centers in our country in this regard. However, it is very important not to exploit this issue and to prevent egg freezing for hobby purposes. We really need to identify women at risk, give them the right counseling and offer the option of freezing.
The stages of the egg freezing process are just like in vitro fertilization. First of all, the eggs in hand are enlarged with daily injections. They are hatched in the presence of eggs of appropriate number and size and collected under anesthesia under laboratory conditions. These eggs are then subjected to special freezing methods and stored in special freezing tanks. It would be useful to get information from the centers regarding storage periods and conditions.
In summary;
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Our eggs are damaged over time. inevitably decreases
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It is very important to identify those at risk
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A regular life and nutrition are the most important tools we have
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Smoking must be quit
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Eğ If there is no plan to have a baby on the horizon, it would be beneficial to get consultancy for egg freezing
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