Infertility is one of the most stressful conditions anyone will deal with in their lives. Dr. Zhou understands that the relationship between a woman’s emotions and infertility is very real and complex, and that the two can be associated with each other. Through acupuncture, she is dedicated to caring for her patients with compassion and to helping them reduce stress, depression and the other negative emotional fallout that can result from infertility.

Stress and infertility

Many years of experience treating patients with infertility have taught Dr. Zhou that stress and infertility are very often directly related in a vicious cycle. She is well aware that, when diagnosed with infertility, many patients feel helpless and no longer in control of their lives. When patients seek insemination or assisted reproductive treatment, the financial impact can be extremely stressful. Some of the hormonal medications can cause mood swings, headaches, fatigue and emotional upsets, which further exacerbate their stress levels. When patients resort to IVF, this is often their last option; they encounter higher levels of physical stress due to injections, blood work, ultrasounds, etc., as well as find themselves highly vulnerable to the possibility that the procedure may fail.

How stress affects the reproductive system

Stress and other negative emotions disrupt hormonal communication between the brain, the pituitary and the ovary, which causes an imbalance in hormonal function. Such imbalances can lead to irregular or missed menstrual cycles; they may also cause the fallopian tubes and uterus to contract, thereby inhibiting the egg’s movement into the uterus. In addition, the existence of years of emotional stress, depression and anxiety has been implicated in the complete cessation of ovulation, resulting in a condition called anovulation.