Poor Ovarian Reserve

Poor Ovarian Reserve or Diminished Ovarian Reserve is one of the prime causes of infertility in women worldwide. However, women can overcome infertility if they understand their condition, have it diagnosed and treated in time.

This condition points to a reduced number of oocytes or eggs in women of child-bearing age. It can be detected in a woman’s later years of reproductive life or in younger women due to various etiological factors.

If a woman is diagnosed with this condition, the quality and number of her eggs are lower than she should have at her age. However, this condition affects women of all ages.

This diminished ovarian reserve, as against her age, causes a woman to lose her potential for normal reproduction.

Causes of POR

Aging naturally reduces your egg reserves. At age 37, an average woman generally has 25,000 oocytes, which drops to 1000 at menopause. However, several other factors that cause this condition, such as:

• Prior Ovarian Surgery
• Fragile X Syndrome
• Chemotherapy
• Pelvic Infection
• Tubal Disease
• Endometriosis
• Mumps
• Radiation Therapy
• Smoking
• Autoimmune Disorders

Symptoms of POR

Though the symptoms of POR are just a few, women who experience this condition will recognize these symptoms:

• Miscarriage
• Difficulty getting pregnant
• Short menstrual cycles than average
• Heavy menstrual flow
• Late or no menstrual cycle

Treating POR

A standard treatment for POR is taking a supplement like dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) which increases fertility. This supplement is produced by the body naturally, though DHEA levels decrease with increasing age.

How to Maintain Proper Quality and Quantity of Eggs

Medical experts believe that by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the quality and quantity of eggs can improve, and POR can slow down. Other ways by which the egg count can be brought to normal include:

• Giving up cigarette smoking
• De-stress with exercise, meditation and yoga
• Eating nutritious food
• Maintaining optimal BMI
• Taking POR supplements on doctor’s recommendation
• Managing comorbidities with medication