Signs of Poor Egg Quality: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Key Takeaways

• Poor egg quality can significantly impact fertility.
• Symptoms: Difficulty conceiving, irregular menstrual cycles, recurrent miscarriages, and low hormone levels.
• Causes: Age, medical conditions, lifestyle factors, and past treatments cause diminished egg quality.
• Diagnosis: Hormonal tests, ultrasounds, and genetic testing can help assess ovarian reserve and identify chromosomal abnormalities.
• Treatment: Medications, lifestyle changes, IVF with pre-implantation genetic testing, and donor eggs.

When you’re trying to conceive, it’s common to think about different aspects of your reproductive health, and egg quality is often one of them. The egg or ovum’s appearance, including its size, shape, and internal structure, can provide valuable insights into its quality and potential for successful pregnancy. But how do you know if you have poor egg quality? Let’s find out.

What’s the Impact of Egg Quality on Fertility?

Poor egg quality can lead to reduced fertilisation rates, increased risk of miscarriage, higher likelihood of congenital defects, and lower implantation rates. This occurs because eggs with poor quality may have chromosomal abnormalities, lack the necessary nutrients for development, or have structural defects that hinder fertilisation or embryo growth. As a result, individuals with poor egg quality may face challenges in conceiving and carrying a healthy pregnancy.

Signs and Symptoms of Bad Egg Quality

Several signs of poor egg quality can indicate underlying issues. Four of the most common signs include the following:

1. Difficulty conceiving: If you’ve been trying to conceive for over a year without success, poor egg quality may be a contributing factor.
2. Irregular periods: There’s a connection between the quality of your eggs and how regular your periods are. When you experience hormonal imbalance, it can affect both. For example, conditions like PCOS can make your periods irregular and also affect the quality of your eggs.
3. Repeated miscarriages: Recurrent miscarriages may be a sign of poor egg quality. Poor egg quality can result in abnormal embryo development and an increased risk for chromosomal abnormalities.
4. Abnormal hormone levels: Hormone levels can offer valuable information about egg quality.

Age

Age is one of the factors that can influence egg quality. While the number and quality of eggs may decline over time, many women can still have successful pregnancies at older ages with the right care and guidance. Here’s a breakdown of how age impacts egg quality:

As is evident, fertility declines sharply after the age of 35 years, with the quality of eggs diminishing over time. Women aged 38 years and above are more likely to have lower-quality eggs, which can impact their ability to conceive and carry a healthy pregnancy to term.

Lifestyle Factors

In addition to age, certain lifestyle habits can also have a detrimental effect on egg quality. These include:

1. Smoking
2. Excessive alcohol consumption
3. Poor diet
4. Obesity

These habits can lead to the production of free radicals in the body, leading to oxidative stress and accelerated cell ageing. Obesity, in particular, can disrupt hormone levels involved in ovulation, further contributing to poor egg quality.

Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions can also have a negative impact on egg quality. Some of the most common include:

• Endometriosis: This condition can affect egg quality because of the release of toxic and inflammatory substances in the body.
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): The hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS can impact egg quality and ovulation.
• Hyperprolactinaemia: Elevated prolactin levels can interfere with hormones essential for ovulation, affecting egg quality.
• Autoimmune disorders: These conditions can lead to ovarian damage and reduce ovarian reserve, impacting egg quality.

In addition to the treatments mentioned above, certain treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy can damage the ovaries and affect egg quality, potentially leading to early menopause. Pelvic infections can also damage the fallopian tubes and ovaries, impacting fertility.

Environment

Exposure to certain environmental toxins can also have a detrimental effect on egg quality. Some of the most common include:

• Pesticides
• Industrial chemicals
• Heavy metals

These toxins can disrupt hormone production and damage egg cells, leading to poor egg quality and reduced fertility.

Diagnosing poor egg quality

If you’re experiencing symptoms of poor egg quality, your doctor may recommend the following tests:

1. Hormonal Analysis: Checking FSH, estradiol, and AMH levels can provide insights into ovarian reserve and egg quality.
2. Ultrasound: Transvaginal ultrasound can reveal the number of available follicles, indicating the ovarian reserve.
3. Genetic Testing: Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A) during IVF can analyse chromosomal issues in the embryo to assess egg quality.

These tests help assess ovarian reserve, ovarian function, and the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos.

Treatment Options for Improving Egg Quality

While there’s no guaranteed way to improve egg quality, several approaches can help:

Medications

Hormonal treatments can stimulate egg maturation and improve ovarian function. Your doctor may prescribe:

• Clomiphene citrate (Clomid)
• Letrozole (Femara)
• Gonadotropins (FSH injections)

Lifestyle Changes

Adopting healthy lifestyle habits can support egg quality:

• Balanced, nutrient-rich diet: Consuming a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals is crucial for egg health. Here are some foods that support reproductive health:

• • Leafy greens – high in folate and antioxidants
  • Berries (e.g., blueberries, strawberries) – packed with antioxidants
  • Nuts and seeds (e.g., almonds, flaxseeds) – rich in vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids
  • Whole grains (e.g., quinoa, brown rice) – provide essential B vitamins
  • Fatty fish (e.g., salmon, sardines) – high in omega-3s, which support hormone regulation
  • Eggs – a good source of protein and choline for reproductive health

• Regular exercise: Regular physical activity improves blood circulation and hormone balance, which are essential for optimal egg health.
• Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol: Quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake can significantly improve egg quality and increase the chances of conception
• Stress management techniques: Chronic stress can negatively impact hormone levels and egg quality. Incorporate stress management techniques into your daily routine, such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, or spending time in nature.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies

• In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)
  In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a widely used assisted reproductive technology that allows for the fertilisation of eggs outside the body. When combined with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), this approach enables the selection of genetically healthy embryos before implantation. In women with signs of poor egg quality, IVF may be beneficial as it increases the likelihood of successful pregnancies by ensuring that only the most viable embryos are transferred.
• Donor Eggs
  For women struggling with signs of poor egg quality, using donor eggs can be an effective option. Donor eggs are sourced from younger, healthy women who undergo rigorous screening processes to ensure optimal egg quality. This approach offers several advantages:
  • Higher Success Rates: Since donor eggs typically come from younger women, they tend to have better quality, which can lead to higher fertilisation and implantation rates.
  • Reduced Risk of Genetic Disorders: Utilising donor eggs can decrease the risk of passing on genetic conditions, especially if the recipient has known genetic issues associated with poor egg quality.
  • Option for Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve: Women experiencing early menopause or those with medical conditions that impair ovarian function can still achieve pregnancy by using donor eggs, providing a viable path to parenthood.

By incorporating these assisted reproductive technologies, women facing signs of poor egg quality can enhance their chances of successful conception and pregnancy. It’s essential to discuss these options with a fertility specialist, who can provide personalised recommendations based on individual circumstances and health factors.