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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
anaemia, 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 fators 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 roots 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 shoud 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 stenility 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. 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
O to 65 o 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.
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