Low quality eggs in females can be caused by a variety of factors, most prominently age, but also lifestyle, medical conditions, and environmental exposures.
- Age:Â Egg quality naturally declines after age 30 and worsens significantly after 35, mainly due to accumulated chromosomal damage in eggs, reducing their ability to fertilize and develop into healthy embryos.
- Genetic and Chromosomal Abnormalities:Â Some eggs carry mutations that impair development, leading to poor-quality embryos or miscarriage.
- Lifestyle Factors:Â Smoking, excessive alcohol, poor diet, and chronic stress negatively affect egg quality by disrupting hormonal balance and causing oxidative damage.
- Medical Conditions:Â Endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), autoimmune disorders, and prior ovarian surgeries can harm the ovary environment and egg health.
- Environmental Exposures:Â Toxins like pesticides, heavy metals, and radiation from chemotherapy or pelvic radiation deteriorate egg quality.
- Hormonal Imbalances:Â Abnormal levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) indicate compromised egg quality and ovarian function.
- Diminished Ovarian Reserve:Â A reduced number of viable eggs in the ovaries correlates with lower quality and fertility potential.
Low quality eggs often result in difficulties conceiving, recurrent miscarriages, implantation failure, or chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. They also reduce success rates for assisted reproductive technologies like IVF.
- Blood tests for FSH, AMH, estradiol, and ultrasound to count antral follicles assess ovarian reserve and egg health.
- Ovary imaging and genetic screening can provide additional insights.
In summary, aging remains the leading cause of egg quality decline, but other factors such as lifestyle, medical conditions, and environmental exposures also play significant roles. Attention to health, early fertility evaluation, and management improve chances despite diminished egg quality.
If you’re facing pregnancy concerns like nausea, back pain, dizziness, cramps, spotting, or worries about travelling, getting timely guidance is important. A skilled gynecologist can assess pregnancy safety, manage complications, provide ultrasound evaluations, and guide you on safe travel. You can consult Dr. Sofia Manzoor a leading gynecologist with 16 years of experience. She’s known for handling infertility cases, high-risk cases, travel-related concerns, and overall women’s health with expertise and care.
