Blocked Fallopian Tubes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and IVF Treatment
Blocked Fallopian Tubes are also another cause of infertility in women. This problem may bring signs and symptoms in some women while in others, it may not. It is quite a silent issue that is only known after an X-ray or an ultrasound.
What are Blocked Fallopian Tubes?
Fallopian Tubes are two tubal parts of the female reproductive system through which an egg travels from the ovaries to the uterus. They are found on each side of the uterus and they are delicate. Once there is a problem or difficult for an egg to travel from the ovary to the uterus, there must be a case of blocked Fallopian tubes. This problem may occur on one side of the uterus that is on one Fallopian tube or both of them. One Fallopian tube may help a woman get pregnant, but it is not a guarantee since in some others there may be a complete infertility due to this problem. This problem affects almost 40% of the women below the stage of menopause.
Can one get pregnant with blocked Fallopian tubes?
Healthy Fallopian tubes are a must for any woman to get pregnant. In case a woman has one blocked Fallopian tube, her chances of getting pregnant are 21 to 41%. In other cases, if two tubes are blocked, there are no chances of getting pregnant except after treatment is done.
Blocked Fallopian tubes and Infertility
It is obvious that in case a woman has blocked Fallopian tubes she can never conceive and that is a total sign of infertility. There are cases where a woman is given treatments to unblock the tubes for her to get pregnant and it fails. This means that she has to go in for IVF treatment to help her conceive. It is a long process that is why IVF treatment in India requires a woman to select a good infertility clinic to avoid wastage of time.
Psychological factors
These factors are associated with the emotions and the history of sexual experiences with men
- Stress and anxiety
Many men are faced with stress or fear in their lives which they are not able to control. This hinders the level of the sperm production, hence causing the issue of low sperm count.
- Hormones
Sperms are produced by the help of a stable mind. When the minds are at peace, the brain is able to increase hormones in the body, hence producing more sperms
Physical factors
These are mainly the habits that a man engages in and they may include;
- Lifestyle
Men dedicate most of their time trying to excel financially and this reduces their time to think about marriages and living a healthy life. This has brought about sleep disorders and made the bodies weaker, which affects sperm production.
The issue of late marriages has also caused a low sperm count in men hence leading to infertility
- Poor Habits
These include smoking and over-consumption of alcohol. The habit of drug abuse is also another habit that leads to low sperm count. These habits bring about other issues with the sperms which include Azoospermia, and poor quality of the sperms
- Frequent sexual intercourse
The more a man ejaculates the more he releases sperms
Health factors
Diseases like Tumors, Celiac, Varicocele, infections and prior surgeries hinder sperm production.
Genetic issues
Low sperm count can also be a hereditary problem
Environmental factors
- Second-hand smoking
Inhalation of smoke from smokers can also increase the chances of low sperm count
- Chemicals from industries
Some factories release dangerous chemicals and fumes that are a threat to the human cells and tissues, for example, pesticides, radiations, xylene, and benzenes.
The causes of Blocked Fallopian Tubes
Mostly, the causes of blocked Fallopian tubes are historical in nature. They are;
- History of an abortion or a miscarriage
- History of sexually Transmitted Diseases, for example, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and HIV, which leads to Pelvic Inflammatory disease
- A history of an ectopic pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- A history of a surgery which may be an abdominal surgery or others where the Fallopian tubes were involved- these cause scarring hence hinders the smooth movement of the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus
Signs and symptoms of blocked Fallopian tubes
Blocked fallopian tubes are silent in nature and they rarely give any sign or symptom.
In the case of hydrosalpinx, a type of tubal problem where the blocked Fallopian tube increases in diameter and size, a woman may experience increased vaginal discharge accompanied by abdominal pain. It is due to the liquid that is filled in the Fallopian tube or tubes.
There are no main signs of blocked Fallopian tubes
How are blocked Fallopian tubes diagnosed?
An X-ray called a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is done and other x-rays for the pelvic may proceed. This procedure involves placing a dye in a woman to travel from the uterus into the pelvic cavity. If at all the dye fails to make it through, this means that there is a problem with the tubes.
An ultrasound plus further X-rays must be ordered to know where the problem lies since in the majority of the women, the problem lies at the meeting point of the tubes with the uterus
Treatment of the blocked Fallopian tubes
A laparoscopic surgery is performed to remove any obstacle that is causing failure of the egg to travel to the uterus. It is the best treatment that is recommended for any woman with blocked Fallopian tubes.
Fertility drugs may also be used to increase ovulation if at all only one Fallopian tube is blocked
Blocked Fallopian tube treatment in India is also provided depending on the age and the level of the problem. The bigger the problem, the more one has to get treatment and if one is under the age of 40 the better.
