by : Jason Jantzi

There are two main types of infertility that people commonly experience today - being unable to conceive a child in the first place, and being able to conceive but being unable to retain the baby, resulting in a miscarriage.

In women, infertility can occur when insufficient nutrition reaches the reproductive tissue. Sometimes this might be due to poor eating habits, but other times there is a medical issue such as poor digestion or some obstruction due to toxins. In men, excessive smoking, drugs and hard liquor can contribute to a low sperm count, which in turn makes it difficult to conceive. Additionally, other medical issues including diabetes, thyroid conditions, stress and even weight can contribute to difficulties conceiving a child.

The main symptom of infertility in a woman is irregularity in her menstrual period, or when mestruation fails to occur for many months at a time. Such an occurrence is an indication that a visit to the doctor or gynecologist is in order. In men, the loss of interest in sexual activity or the urge to have sex is often an indication of infertility.

Although the symptoms of infertility are concerning, there are ways to cure it with medication in many cases, or in severe cases with surgery. In addition, in vitro fertilization clinics and artificial insemination can help with conception.

So, how can you tell whether you have fertility problems? Keep a journal of any symptom that you may encounter. For instance, when you have your menstrual cycle, make a note in a journal. If any irregularities occur, note them as well. Then on a regular basis keep track of any changes in these symptoms.

Once a medication or course of treatment has been prescribed for you, keep another journal in which you describe the results. Have the symptoms improved? Are they worse? Are there any side effects? Keep track of when side effects occur and how severe they are. Having this information handy will help your doctor prescribe the treatment that best addresses not only your fertility, but your overall health as well.

Setting up journals like the ones described here is easy to do. You can use a paper worksheet, a computer word processing program, or even a spreadsheet program like Excel.

You owe it to yourself to take an active role in managing your own health. Infertility can usually be addressed but you need to use every tool at your disposal to make sure you get the best results possible.