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Signs of infertility you should NEVER ignore
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Infertility effects nearly 1 in 8 couples: are you one of them? Recognize the signs and symptoms today. - photo by Hannah Rose
There is nothing the world loves more than a baby announcement. People fawn over gender reveals and throw parties to celebrate the arrival of their little bundles of joy. There is a strong public display of encouragement for conception but little empathy and support for the millions of women struggling to discuss their baby-making challenges.

Infertility, the inability to get pregnant, has become a taboo topic in our society. Men and women hide their struggle from friends and families because they feel ashamed or discouraged, but according to the National Infertility Association nearly 1 in 8 couples will have trouble getting pregnant this year.

Both male and female partners can be infertile or show symptoms of infertility. Understanding and recognizing the symptoms of infertility can help couples recognize when it is time to examine other outlets to conceive and when it is time to see a doctor for medical assistance.

According to WebMD, the most obvious symptoms are:

Infertility symptoms in women

In women there are two specific health aspects that can affect fertility- changes in the menstrual cycle and hormonal problems.

Problematic signs to look for in your menstrual cycle include:

  • Unpredictable periods- are you bleeding lighter or heavier than normal?
  • Your period stops completely or never has occurred in your lifetime.
  • Extremely painful periods- your back, pelvis and lower abdominals ache from severe cramping.
  • Irregular periods- number of days between each cycle is constantly varying.
Hormonal symptoms to pay attention to:

  • A sudden change in sex drive and desire
  • Noticeable thinning or loss of hair throughout all areas of your body
  • Sudden or unexplainable weight gain
  • Sudden increase in acne all over your body
  • Skin changes- different texture, moisture or appearance
  • Dark hair begins to grow on your chin, chest and lips
Infertility symptoms in men:

  • Noticeable changes in hair growth on your entire body
  • A sudden change in sex drive and desire
  • A low sperm count
  • Undergone a previous scrotal or inguinal surgery
  • Received a cancer treatment prior to trying to conceive
  • Unexplainable erection and ejaculation problems
  • Small and firm testicles
  • Increased pain or swelling in the testicles
When is it time to see the doctor?

Physicians and doctors agree, if you are under 35 and have tried to get pregnant for over a year without success, the best thing to do is see your physician for help.

Doctors can run blood, urine and body image tests to pinpoint the problem for why you cant get pregnant. Also, doctors can run a sperm analysis that can check on a males sperm count and the overall sustainability and health of his sperm.

If your doctor cannot provide you with sound and beneficial results, they may refer you to an endocrinologist, who are people that treat individuals that suffer from hormonal imbalances, for more help and information.
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From the book 'Outliers' comes proof that good health is more than just genetics
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Friends Jim Young, left, Mike Natale, Jeff Natale and Ryan Kiernan were on Greenwich High School football team together and Jim and Mike were captains. Jim, who was the youngest in Sherry Young's family, was welcome in the homes of the other three boys who still had siblings around and grandparents near. - photo by Sherry Young
As I look back on my life and the lives of others, both personally and in the reading I have done, I am convinced of the necessity of positive human contact in our lives. We are doubly blessed when we are able to make good friends or are a part of a family where we are accepted and loved.

Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers tells of a time in the 1950s when Dr. Stewart Wolf met a physician who practiced in the area of Roseto, Pennsylvania. Roseto was settled by a group of Italian families from Roseto, Italy, who re-created their life again in America.

This was in the 1950s before drugs and measures to prevent heart disease became important. In their conversation the physician said, You know, Ive been practicing for 17 years. I get patients from all over, and I rarely find anyone from Roseto under the age of 65 with heart disease.

Wolf was surprised by these words as, It was impossible to be a doctor, common sense said, and not see heart disease.

Wolf enlisted the aid of a sociologist and friend John Bruhn to help him. They found, There was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction, and very little crime. They didnt have anyone on welfare. Then we looked at peptic ulcers. They didnt have any of those either. These people were dying of old age. Thats it.

They checked into diet, genetics and possibilities of something in the foothills of eastern Pennsylvania but nothing made sense.

What they found was that Rosetans visited one another, stopping to chat in Italian on the street, say, or cooking for one another in their backyards. (Researchers) learned about the extended family clans that underlay the towns social structure. They saw how many homes had three generations living under one roof and how much respect grandparents commanded. They went to Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and saw the unifying and calming effect of the church. They counted 22 separate civic organizations in a town of just under 2,000 people. They picked up on the particular egalitarian ethos of the community, which discouraged the wealthy from flaunting their success and helped the unsuccessful obscure their failures.

What they found eventually convinced the medical establishment to look beyond the individual and understand the culture people are part of their friends, families and town they came from. They determined that the people we surround ourselves with and the values of the world we inhabit have a profound effect on who we are.

Likely, this study could have been done with other ethnicities. However, my family's experiences with the Italian families in Connecticut ring true to the study. Our hungry and growing sons, especially our youngest son, Jim, who was left home alone with two beady-eyed parents, all had some memorable experiences being fed and loved in the Cos Cob multigenerational families. Proof of the African proverb, It takes a village to raise a child.

We live in an age when the contact we have with people often is on the internet, and many of us live among strangers. Unless we make the effort to reach out, we will become isolated, especially as we age. The Rosetan study is proof that reaching out and communicating may be good for our health.
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