How does drinking alcohol increase infertility?

Alcohol intake suddenly increases during a party, which apart from affecting the organs of the body, also proves to be the cause of infertility. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), excessive alcohol consumption affects fertility. According to research, drinking alcohol 3 to 6 times every week reduces a woman's chances of conceiving easily by 44 percent. Know how alcohol affects fertility (how alcohol affects fertility ,

Effect of alcohol on fertility

BioMed Central reports that the teratogenic effects of alcohol use increase during pregnancy. Actually, alcohol easily crosses the placenta and reaches the amniotic fluid and fetus. This causes alcohol and its metabolites to accumulate in the amniotic fluid. This reduces the metabolic enzyme activity of the fetus. This leads to reduction in anti-oxidant capacity and increase in free radicals in the body. Due to this, apoptosis increases in brain tissues.

According to the National Institutes of Health, drinking excess alcohol affects hormones and ovulation. Due to this, the risk of heavy blood flow during periods and irregular menstruation increases. Also, women who consume alcohol regularly take longer time to get pregnant than others.

Drinking alcohol regularly leads to problems like miscarriage, still birth, low birth weight and premature birth. Apart from this, disability and developmental problems start increasing in the child. This increases the possibility of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. In this regard, Dr. Sanjay Patel, surgeon at Mayflower Women's Hospital, Ahmedabad, tells how
Consuming alcohol increases the risk of infertility in women.

Know how drinking alcohol increases infertility (how drinking alcohol increases infertility)

1. Irregular period

Drinking alcohol disrupts the regular hormonal balance needed for ovulation and the menstrual cycle. Due to irregular periods, it becomes difficult to detect the ovulation period, which increases the difficulty in conceiving. Besides this, menstrual bleeding also gets affected.

2. Ovulation disorder

Women who consume alcohol daily, the release of eggs from their ovaries i.e. ovulation gets affected. Due to irregular or no ovulation every time, the chances of pregnancy start decreasing. Also the risk of infertility increases.

3. Increase in hormonal imbalance

Drinking excess alcohol affects the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. These hormones are essential for keeping the menstrual cycle regular and maintaining reproductive health. This reduces the chances of conceiving and increases the risk of miscarriage.

4. Impaired implantation

It is advisable to eat healthy meals during pregnancy. But drinking alcohol during conception increases the difficulty in implanting the fertilized egg. Alcohol consumption affects the lining of the uterus, making it difficult to conceive.

5. Egg quality is affected (Low egg quality)

Consumption of alcohol starts affecting the quality of eggs. This reduces the chances of developing into a healthy fetus. Alcohol affects the activity of granulosa cells. Due to this the egg does not receive nutrition.

6. Increased risk of miscarriage

Consuming alcohol during pregnancy proves to be extremely harmful for the child. Consuming alcohol during pregnancy or while conceiving proves to be the cause of miscarriage and complications during pregnancy.