Can Anesthesia Make You Infertile?

Environmental toxins are to blame for a large percentage of infertility cases these days, making one wonder if something as simple as anesthesia could cause a problem for either the man or the woman when it comes to decreasing their ability to conceive a child.

In most cases, the experts agree that undergoing any type of anesthesia due to minor surgery is completely safe and will not affect either a woman’s menstrual cycle (or ability to ovulate); nor a man’s sperm viability.

That said, there are some real risks to ongoing anesthesia exposure.  Some reports indicate that women are especially vulnerable to the affects of ongoing aesthesia exposure.  In one study, it was reported that a baby born to a mother who works around aesthesia (either in an operating room; surgical center and even dental offices), have a three times higher risk having mild to severe birth defect.  Among the nurses studied, 16% gave birth to children with some sort of birth defect, compared to the general population where only 5% give birth to children with nay sort of birth defect.

With little or no outward symptoms to Female Reproductive Toxicity in regards to anesthetic gasses, the only way to link the two is after fertility issues have been diagnosed.  The three main signs that anesthetic gas exposure could be hampering your ability to either conceive at all, or maintain a healthy pregnancy include:

• reduced fertility
• repeated miscarriage
• an increase in birth defect rates
  
  Among those most at risk for the toxic effects of anesthetic gas on their fertility are:
  
  
  • Women – while some researchers believe that a man’s sperm count may be altered by this type of exposure, there has been no definitive link reported to date
  • Those who work in close proximity to aesthesia products: anestitists who actually administer the drug to patients seem to be at the highest risks, as are the nurses who assist them. This may be in large part to the long hours of exposure these professionals with the toxin. Also at risk are those who work with anesthesia in a less contained environment like dental offices; outpatient surgi-centers and the like. This may be because more of the gas tends to leak into the general breathing environment in these types of situations While it is such a low amount as to not affect the people breathing it; it may be enough to alter a woman’s fertility if she is in constant contact with the gas.
  • Those working in other environments where anesthesia is present (like manufacturing plants; storage areas, etc).

For many women, the only way to limit their exposure it the toxic gas is to quit their job or at least ask for a temporary change in the work schedule or the department that they work in. A drastic measure to be sure, getting yourself out of the environment which could causing your fertility issues may be the best and easiest ways to clear the toxic effects of the anesthesia form your body in order to achieve the safe pregnancy that you yearn for.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you end up having any questions I would suggest for you to join the Natural Fertility Community and post them there. Not only will you have access to natural fertility speciallists, but you can also get feedback and support from women who are going through the same experience as you.

I wish you the best on your journey and look forward to hearing about your BFP!

All the best,
Hethir Rodriguez