Female Sterility
Sterility in case of the female refers to the
incapacity to conceive and give birth to a living baby. Sterility or failure to
reproduce must be distinguished from frigidity which denotes failure to perform
the sex act or performing it imperfectly. It may be relevant to first examine
the mechanism of conception. The sperms of the male are injected into the
vagina during sexual intercourse. At the very same time an alkaline fluid is secreted
from the vaginal walls. The sperms are able to move up the womb and through the
fallopian tubes to fertilise the ova or the female egg only when this fluid is
present.
Two factors are important
in ensuring a normal secretion of this fluid. Firstly, there should be an adequate
nerve supply to the vagina ducts. This is the reason why very nervous women
fail to conceive. The nervous system in such cases must be strengthened by
adequate rest, relaxation and a proper diet The second important factor is to
ensure that the fluid flowing from the vaginal walls is alkaline. If this is
not so, the sperms are destroyed by the acidic fluid, usually present in the
vaginal canal and womb. To ensure the necessary alkalinity of the fluid, it is
essential to take a predominantly alkaline diet, with a liberal intake of raw
vegetables and fruits, and also to eliminate acid-forming foods.
Causes
Sterility in a female may be due to physical defects,
physical debility and functional faults. Physical defects or structural abnormalities
of the genitals and reproductive organs may be congenital or accidental and can
result from malformation or sagging of the womb, collapse of the fallopian
tubes and the rigidity of the hymen.
Sterility due to physical debility can result from poor health as a consequence of certain acute or chronic
diseases. These diseases may affect not only the physical body but also the
genital organs. Complaints like gonorrhea, syphilis and inflammation of the
fallopian tubes also come under this category. Chronic anemia, constipation and
leucorrhoea aggravate these conditions. Sterility may also be caused by loss of
essential glands or organs of reproduction or a decrease in their functions,
brought about by a variety of factors such as surgical injuries, tumour, excessive
radiation and lack of normal menstrual cycle. Obesity or emaciation due either
to dietetic errors or faulty metabolism are yet other factors which can
contribute to female sterility.
Psychological
factors like emotional stress,
tension, mental depression, anxiety and fear may also result in psychosomatic
sterility. This conditions generally temporary and can be corrected by
psychotherapy.
Treatment
Structural defects can be ascertained by a thorough
physical examination and radiology and can be set right by surgery. Physical
debility and the functional faults of organic nature can be cured by simple and
effective methods of natural treatment. These methods include hygienic living, optimum
nutrition and following all the laws of nature. Fasting is the best remedy for the treatment of disorders resulting from
toxins in the system. A short fast of two or three days should be undertaken at
regular intervals by women who are unable to bear children. The bowels should
be cleansed by a warm water enema during the period of fasting and afterwards
when necessary. This will have a beneficial effect not only on the digestive
system but also on the surrounding organs of the urinary and genital system.
Diet is the most important factor in the treatment of
sterility. It should consist of three basic health building food groups namely
(i) seeds, nuts and grains, (ii) vegetables and (iii) fruits. These foods
should be supplemented with milk, vegetable oils and honey. The best way to
take milk is in its soured form, that is curd and cottage cheese. Each food
group should roughly form the bulk of one of three meals. About 70 to 80 per
cent of the diet should consist of foods in their natural uncooked states,
because cooking destroys much of the nutritional values of the most foods.
Sprouting is an excellent way of consuming seeds, beans and grains in their raw
form in the process of sprouting the nutritional value is multiplied, new
vitamins are created and the protein quality is improved.
The daily menu of a health-building and vitalising
diet may be on the following lines:
Upon rising: A glass of lukewarm water with a juice of half a lemon and a spoonful of
honey.
Breakfast: Fresh
fruits like apple, orange, banana, grapes and grapefruit and a glass of milk.
Lunch: A
bowl of steamed vegetables seasoned with vegetable oil or butter and salt, two
or three whole wheat chappatis and a glass of buttermilk.
Mid-afternoon: A glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice.
Dinner: A
large bowl of salad made up of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots,
beetroots and onion, and sprouted moong or bengal gram.
Bed-time: A
glass of milk or an apple.
Excessive fat, spicy foods, strong tea, coffee, white
sugar, white flour, refined cereals, flesh foods, greasy or fried foods should
all be avoided. Smoking or drinking, where habitual, must be completely given
up. Certain nutrients, especially vitamin C and E and zinc have been found
helpful in some cases of sterility. The woman who is unable to conceive should
take daily 1000 mg. of vitamin C, 100 I.U. of vitamin E and 30 mg. of zinc.
Certain
remedies have also been found useful in the treatment of female sterility
where there are no organic defects or congenital deformities. One such remedy
is a tender root of the banyan tree. These roots should be dried in the shade
and finally powdered. This powder should be mixed five times their weight with
milk and taken at night for three consecutive nights after the monthly periods
are over. No other food should be taken with this. It should be repeated after
the completion of menstrual cycle every month till conception takes place. An
infusion of the fresh tender leaves of jambul fruit (jamun) taken with honey or
buttermilk, is an excellent remedy for sterility and miscarriage due to ovarian
or endometrium functional disorders. The leaves presumably stimulate the
secretion of progesterone hormone and help the absorption of vitamin E.
The eggplant is also useful in overcoming functional
sterility. Cooked tender eggplants, should be eaten with butter-milk everyday
for a month or two for this purpose. It increases the capacity to absorb
vitamin E and stimulate the secretion of progesterone. Other helpful measures
in overcoming female sterility are mud packs and cold water treatment like a
hip bath and a wet girdle-pack. These treatments will greatly improve internal
circulation in the genital organs and will relieve them of all kinds of
inflammation and other abnormalities. Mud packs may be applied to the abdomen
and sexual organs.
Hydrotherapy
For a hip bath, a common tub may be used. The tub may
be filled with sufficient water to cover the hips, when a person sits inside
it. The cold hip bath should be taken for 10 minutes at a water temperature of
50° to 65°F. For wet girdle pack, a thin underwear wrung
in cold water should be worn. Over this, a thick dry cotton or woolen underwear
should be worn. All cold treatments should be suspended during menstruation.
Certain yogasanas
which help tone up the gonads should be practised regularly for overcoming female
sterility. These asanas are sarvagasana, matyasana, ardhamatsyendrasana, paschimottanasana,
and shalabhasana. All these practices together with clean habits, proper rest
and relaxation will go a long way in overcoming female sterility.
Source: www.healthlibrary.com through www.scribd.com
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