What is Ovarian Dysfunction?

Ovarian dysfunction means that the ovaries are not doing their job of releasing an egg. Though the symptoms of malfunctioning ovaries aren't always attention-grabbing, like irregular or absent periods, they should still be taken seriously as they could indicate infertility or other serious afflictions. There are many causes for ovarian dysfunction, such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, perimenopause, stress, ovarian hypofunction and obesity.

The ovaries are female reproductive glands that produce an egg each month, as well as the hormones estrogen and progesterone. From birth, the ovaries contain all the eggs needed in a lifetime, usually several hundred thousand, though only about 300 mature eggs are released. Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovaries through the fallopian tubes and into the uterus where it is either fertilized and leads to pregnancy, or it is not fertilized and is shed via menstruation.Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is when there are cysts on the ovaries and is the most common cause of ovarian dysfunction. The condition itself is rarely harmful, but does cause hormonal imbalance, which can lead to a host of other problems,
including cancer.

Perimenopause is the stage preceding menopause (defined as the shutting down of the ovaries), usually lasting three to six years before the last period. In this stage, ovulation becomes erratic---the ovaries don't always produce an egg each month, even though a monthly period may still occur---which is a normal though not necessarily healthy dysfunction of the ovaries. It is unhealthy only because anovulation leads to estrogen dominance in the body.

Stress, both mental and physical, can affect your cycle, making your period late or even making you skip a period altogether. College students, professional athletes or anyone under extreme pressure often have irregular cycles. While these irregularities normally go away when the stress is under control, chronic stress may affect your body's ability to ovulate regularly.

Ovarian hypo-function, or premature ovarian failure, can be caused by chemotherapy or radiation, other autoimmune disorders or genetics. Symptoms are similar to menopause, including lack of menstruation, painful intercourse, night sweats and hot flashes.

Obesity has a heavy toll on the body's ability to ovulate, causing anovulation. So even if bleeding still occurs every month, the body may not be producing an egg. Obese women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome may have more severe ovarian dysfunction than women who are normal weight, such as infertility.

Diagnosis of ovarian dysfunction can be confirmed by your doctor by determining your hormone levels or via ultrasound. Conventional treatment for ovarian dysfunction is usually done with fertility medications such as clomiphene citrate, but natural herbal remedies have been used in Asia for centuries, including red clover, raspberry leaf and lady's mantle. In the meantime, measuring your body temperature every morning upon first awakening can help verify if you are ovulating.


Adopted from ehow.com