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 awater 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.