How To Uncover The Root Cause Of Your Unexplained Infertility

If you’ve been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, idiopathic infertility, or secondary infertility, you likely have many questions. You might have already gone through an array of hormonal testing and been told that IUI or IVF are your only options for having a family of your own. However, you might be surprised to learn that unexplained infertility actually has many potential root causes that can in fact be tested for and appropriately treated.  

Seeing as 68 million couples struggle with infertility and 30% of those cases are considered unexplained infertility or idiopathic infertility, it’s important to understand what you can do to address it. Unlike the traditional medicine approach which often jumps right to hormonal based therapies or IVF, this approach often means undergoing the appropriate, functional type of testing to help determine what the specific cause of the infertility may be for you. The traditional approach can not only be incredibly expensive (and potentially lead to other hormonal imbalances), but it also doesn’t identify what the root cause of the unexplained infertility was in the first place. 

In order to fully understand the diagnosis of “unexplained infertility”, it’s important to understand the root of where it may be coming from in the first place and what you can do about it. 

Possible Root Causes Of Unexplained Infertility 

There are countless reasons why you may struggle with infertility-and this applies for both women and men. Below we will explore some of the common causes of unexplained infertility.

Unhealthy Body Weight

When men or women are underweight, the body shifts into a state of stress. Rather than producing adequate thyroid and sex hormones, the body assumes it is in a state of fight of flight and produces more stress hormones. This can result in anovulation (a lack of ovulation during the menstrual cycle), hormonal imbalances as low body fat can decrease the production of estrogen, amenorrhea (a lack of a menstrual cycle), and reduced implantation rates in women. In men, this often manifests as a significantly reduced sperm count and poorer sperm quality.   

On the contrary, being overweight causes adipose (fat) cells to grow and release more estrogen. When there is too much natural estrogen in circulation, it can cause a woman’s body to react as if she were using hormonal birth control with estrogen (like the pill, shot, or vaginal ring) and prevent her from ovulating and having a monthly period. In men, increases in adiposity increase rates of a fat-storing hormone called leptin which  decreases testosterone levels and causes abnormal sperm shape as well as reduced ejaculation volume. 

Stress

Stress refers to anything physical, mental, or emotional in nature. These types of stress can negatively impact ovulation in women by elevating cortisol (a stress hormone) levels that suppress reproductive hormones. Excessive physical stress is also known to disrupt the production of two important reproductive hormones called Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) preventing an egg from being released. In men, an increase in stress hormone production like cortisol has been found to lead to more vasoconstriction in the testes (less blood flow) resulting in a lower testosterone levels and decreased production of sperm. In both men and women, stress is also tied to impaired thyroid function, poor detoxification, impaired blood sugar regulation and increased inflammation.

Subclinical or Undiagnosed Thyroid Conditions 

For starters, if your doctor is only running a TSH, or a TSH, Free T4 and Thyroid antibodies, we’re not getting the full picture when it comes to thyroid health. If you are struggling with many of the symptoms associated with hyper or hypothyroidism yet your labs look “normal”, it’s probably time to talk about a more extensive thyroid panel and a narrower reference range. The thyroid plays a significant role in egg quality, progesterone production, and egg implantation into the uterus. Subclinical hypothyroidism is very common (and very easily detectable) and without enough thyroid hormone, the uterine lining (endometrium) is often less receptive to egg implantation causing increased rates of early miscarriages. Remember, just because your labs don’t fit the “conventional” ranges doesn’t mean there isn’t something going on subclinically.

Poor Gut Health

As you may have been hearing more and more, the gut is often referred to as our second brain. With 70% of our immune system found in the gut, it’s no surprise that when the gut microbiota is imbalanced, it can trigger a cascade of problems- including infertility. When the gut microbiome is in a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation it can spread throughout the body, including to the reproductive organs. When this happens, it can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, anovulation, and poor sperm quality. Research also suggests that when there is chronic inflammation from a dysbiotic (imbalanced) gut microbiome, it can lead to the development of antisperm antibodies preventing fertilization. If in doubt, always go to the gut. That persistent constipation, diarrhea, or bloating may have more meaning behind it than you think.

MTHFR Genetic SNP

The Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) enzyme is associated with over 200 different processes in the body like genetic expression, detoxification, the immune response, and energy production. About 40-60% of people have a mutation also known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), which changes how the MTHFR enzyme works. SNP's are different from actual genetic mutations like those which cause Fragile X syndrome or Down Syndrome as SNP’s can be controlled by our environment and diet. People with a genetic SNP in the MTHFR gene  are typically referred to as "overmethylators" or "undermethylators". Of the 40-60% of the population that has an MTHFR SNP, over half of them are  known as undermethylators, meaning the above functions are very slow and sluggish. In these individuals, it is much more common to see infertility and early, recurrent chemical pregnancies. With diet and lifestyle interventions, it is possible to change the way this gene is expressed and turn it “off” to improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes. 

Mold or Heavy Metal Exposure

Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by mold and are another potential cause of unexplained infertility. Typically mold toxicity is caused by living in or being constantly exposed to a location that has mold such as a place of work. These mycotoxins can have estrogenic effects on the body causing hormonal imbalances, poor egg quality, anovulation, as well as reduced sperm production. Some mycotoxins, like aflatoxins, have been found to suppress the immune system which makes the body more susceptible to infections, including reproductive tract infections, which can interfere with fertility.

Heavy metals, cadmium in specific, have been found to be more concentrated in women with unexplained infertility leading to amenorrhea while lead has been found to accumulate in the testes and decrease sperm count, motility, viability, and spermatogenesis (the production of mature sperm).

So what can you do about all of these factors? For starters- seek out the appropriate testing to help you identify which areas are in need of some work! 

Identify the root cause of your unexplained infertility and start preparing for the family of your dreams with the Nourishing New Beginnings Testing Bundle. This comprehensive testing bundle coupled with a 1:1 analysis of results and tailored action plans offers an in-depth understanding of your health to identify the root causes of your unexplained infertility, support a healthy pregnancy, and ensure a smooth postpartum recovery.