The symptoms, references, and risk factors for thyroid disease are shown below, but not everyone with abnormal thyroid hormones gets all of the symptoms. To add further confusion, the symptoms don’t seem to fit everyone, and 10% of people with hyperthyroidism gain rather than lose weight! Thyroid disorders are diagnosed by testing hormone leve...
The thyroid gland in the neck makes hormones that set the body’s metabolic rate, which governs how energy is produced or stored and how waste products are removed. Thyroid hormone levels affect the behaviour of all cells and organs in the body, including the ovaries and testes. Thyroid disorders can be a crucial issue for couples who have diff...
Leukocyte antibodies (LA) identify non-self leukocytes, and leukocytes are types of white blood cells that circulate in the blood, bone marrow, and lymph systems. These white blood cells are an essential part of the immune system and include the Natural Killer (NK) cells. The LA role is primarily to remove bacteria (or other foreign invaders)...
Natural Killer cells (NK cells) make up about 5-10% of our white blood cells (lymphocytes) and are an essential part of the immune system, keeping us healthy by removing unwanted, damaged or foreign cells. They play a crucial role in stopping infections and removing tumours and are essential for restructuring and enabling growth. NK cell numbe...
Male Fertility Introduction to Male Fertility Even though men have a relatively brief role in making babies, we’re learning more about how their health at the time of conception affects their children.i Male fertility trends The average 1990’s man produced about half the sperm that men did in 1940, and this worrying trend is conti...
Investigations for anovulation are essential when deciding treatment choices, and as the main cause of female infertility is a lack of ovulation, these tests are crucial. In total, about 30-40% of couple infertility is female based; the same is true for men, with the rest being combined factors between the couple. However, about a third of cou...
Low hormone levels prevent regular ovulation for many women and is a condition termed “hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism”, which means “low sex hormone levels causing sex organs to under-function. The menstrual cycle relies on the release of hormones from three glands to function, and a lack of hormones from any of them reduces ...
Luteinised Unruptured Follicle Syndrome (LUFS) is a subtle variation of regular cycles that effectively prevents pregnancy. The condition isn’t that well known, partly because nearly everything in menstrual cycles works as it should: The dominant follicle develops as normal There’s a normal luteinising hormone (LH) “surge...
Premature ovarian failure (POF) or “premature menopause” is a surprisingly common condition that affects one woman in a thousand at 30 and about one in a hundred at 40. i POF is a very challenging diagnosis to come to terms with because it brings both infertility and the early arrival of menopause. Menopause happens at around 50 for most wome...
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a widespread and complex condition that’s the leading cause of low female fertility. The main issues are that fewer eggs are released each year, and egg quality is generally lower. Diagnosis is based on three points: A lack of or irregular ovulation Abnormal sex hormone levels Abnormal ovary shape Th...
