Ovulatory Dysfunction

Understanding the connection between ovulatory dysfunction and infertility

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 13.4% of women ages 15 to 49 experience some trouble getting pregnant. Our Northern Louisiana fertility expert, David T. Vandermolen MD, MS, realizes these difficulties create disappointment and frustration. One of the most common causes of female infertility is ovulatory dysfunction, which Dr. Vandermolen can diagnose and treat.

How do we define ovulatory dysfunction?

Simply speaking, ovulatory dysfunction means that your ovaries aren’t releasing eggs consistently. For pregnancy to occur, an egg and sperm must meet, so that fertilization can occur.

If you aren’t ovulating regularly, your odds of conceiving significantly decline. The average menstrual cycle is 28 to 30 days, but women with ovulatory challenges, which include premature ovarian insufficiency, anovulation and PCOS (now called PMOS), can have cycles lasting 35 to 90 plus days.

What are the common symptoms?

With ovulatory dysfunction, your menstrual cycle pattern itself most often raises the concern for not ovulating normally and regularly. Dr. Vandermolen looks at patterns in your cycle and assesses other factors as well to understand what’s happening.

The following signs indicate that you should have a broader discussion with our Northern Louisiana fertility expert.

  • Infrequent or absent periods
  • Very light or heavy periods
  • Irregular basal body temperature readings
  • Difficulty achieving pregnancy

What is PCOS?

Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, and most recently given a new name, polyendocrine metabolic ovary syndrome, PMOS, is one of the most common causes of ovulation problems. In fact, it affects 10% to 13% of women in their childbearing years. With PCOS, a hormone imbalance causes the ovary to produce excessive levels of androgens, which are hormones that regulate reproductive function in both men and women. The resulting hormone imbalance disrupts regular follicle growth, ovulation, and regular menstruation, and it creates unpleasant symptoms like unwanted hair growth and acne, and often contributes to female infertility.

Understanding how to treat ovulatory issues

Before making any recommendations, Dr. Vandermolen will order a complete fertility workup, which will entail a detailed medical history, blood work, physical exam and an ultrasound. The results of these tests will provide our Northern Louisiana fertility expert with a full picture of your specific situation. From there, he can explain what the findings mean and outline the appropriate next steps.

Your treatment plan will depend on your current family-planning goals. Lifestyle changes, managing underlying conditions, and certain medications can help regulate your cycles, which may improve the chances of ovulation. For ovulation induction, common oral medications used are letrozole and clomiphene. At some point, Dr. Vandermolen may suggest moving forward with more specialized fertility treatments, such as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation or IVF.

Don’t put your baby-making plans on hold. The dedicated medical team at ArkLaTex Fertility can identify and treat complicated fertility cases to common causes of infertility, including addressing ovulatory dysfunction. Contact our office to schedule an appointment with our Northern Louisiana fertility expert.

Ovulatory dysfunction happens when the ovaries don’t release an egg regularly or at all. This dysregulation can make it harder to get pregnant, and may also cause irregular or missed periods.

Common signs include unpredictable menstrual cycles, very light or very heavy periods, or long stretches without a period. Some people also notice acne, weight changes, or increased hair growth, depending on the underlying cause.

Treatment depends on what’s causing the issue. Your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes, medications that help regulate or trigger ovulation, or additional testing to better understand your hormone levels.