29.Do uterine polyps contribute to infertility? – Infertility Niche Business

Nearly a quarter of all women have uterine polyps. These are overgrowth of tissue in the endometrium, or the lining of the uterus. For many of these women, the presence of these polyps goes undetected, because they cause no symptoms.

For others however, they may notice abnormal uterine bleeding as the first and major symptom of these polyps. This doesn't mean it's the only symptom. If you have these polyps, you probably are already experiencing some of these signs and signals:

 Bleeding after intercourse

 Heavy menstrual bleeding

 Spotting between menstrual
periods

 Bleeding after you reach
menopause

These small, bulb-shaped masses of endometrial tissue are attached to the uterus by a stalk. Right about now, you may be wondering how these polyps differ from uterine fibroids. Fibroids are usually larger than cysts and are made of hard muscle.

Uterine polyps can indeed contribute to your infertility. They act much like a natural intrauterine device or an IUD. Their presence prevents the fertilized egg from implanting itself in the uterine wall.

Uterine polyps can also cause a woman's infertility by blocking the entrance to the uterine. They can grow in the specific spot where the fallopian tube connects to the uterine cavity itself. If this happens, the sperm is unable to travel from the tube to "meet" the egg. (Talk about unrequited love!)

For some women, the presence of polyps also plays a major role for the occurrence of miscarriages.

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Uterine Polyps:

Who's At Risk

Polyps remain pretty much a mystery to medicine. Not sure exactly what causes them, the medical community has little in its bag of tricks to help relieve them.

Health professionals, though, do know who is at greater risk of developing them.

You are more likely to develop polyps if any of these descriptions apply to you:

 If you are now or ever were taking an anti-estrogen drug like Nolvadex -- tamoxifen,

 Between the ages of 40 and 50.

 Pre- or peri-menopausal.

 Obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more.

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