Conceiving naturally is no longer normal in cities nowadays, especially for working women. The hectic lifestyles we have and the escalating stress levels only add to the sorrow. It is only when there is trouble conceiving that we reach out to a doctor for help. Amongst the multiple tests that a doctor advises you, a prominent one is AMH. AMH is used to test the egg reserve of a woman. It defines the potential of a woman to get pregnant. An AMH test can be done on any day of a woman’s cycle to know the number of eggs that are left in her ovary. Recently, it has been observed that younger women have been tested with very low AMH levels. But what Causes Low AMH at Young Age? Before delving into that, let us first understand what AMH means.
What is AMH?
AMH is an Anti-Mullerian Hormone. It is a protein hormone that is mainly produced in small follicles (which are tiny pouches that contain eggs in the ovary) by the granulosa cells. Granulosa cell facilitates eggs to develop in the woman’s ovaries. It is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by pre-entral follicles and small antral follicles of the ovary.
All the women are born with all the eggs that they are going to have in their lifetime. Then, after that, these eggs are naturally used during the ovulation cycle throughout life until the time of menopause. Therefore, ovarian reserves will decrease over time along with the level of AMH as she gets older. When the women are in their mid-30s, the number of eggs starts decreasing. That is why the chances of the fertility of a woman also start to decrease as AMH starts depleting by then.
AMH indicates the status of ovarian reserve in women. Low AMH is an indicator of low ovarian reserve. A blood test checks for the AMH value, which suggests how many eggs are left in the ovaries.
The normal AMH levels are between 1-3.5 ng/ml. Any AMH level above 2ng/ml is considered a good value, and level <1ng/ml is low. Levels less than 0.3ng/ml are considered very low. AMH level reduces as you age; younger women usually have AMH > 3.5 ng/l and more than 40 years have < 1 ng/ml. AMH can also be expressed as picomol/ml, where the values are multiplied by a factor of 7.
What Causes Low AMH at Young Age?
If you’re young and have been tested with Low AMH levels, ask yourself, why do I have low AMH at a young age? While with age, depletion of eggs is meant to happen, but not when you’re in your 20s.
Causes of Low AMH at a Young Age
Poor Diet
Youngsters love to eat out, and even when home, they prefer to have processed food. Processed food and fat are unhealthy and make you obese. Fat and nutritional deficiencies could lead to various health issues, and so also low AMH levels.
Lifestyle issues
Late nights, a sedentary lifestyle, excessive smoking, obesity, pollution, etc., many lifestyle issues are also reasons for low AMH in ladies at a young age.
Genetics
Low AMH could also be an inherited issue.
Stress Levels
This is an era where even youngsters are leading a stressful life, many even suffering from mental health issues. Stress can also affect AMH levels and, thereby, fertility. De-stressing can correct the level of AMH.
PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)
PCOS is quite a common female reproductive disorder in which your ovary produces an abnormal amount of male sex hormones. So, even if there is a small cyst in your ovary, it can affect the AMH level.
Autoimmune diseases
In any kind of autoimmune disorder, your immune system mainly attacks your healthy cells. It may also attack your healthy eggs, lowering your AMH level.
Chemotherapy
If you’re undergoing chemotherapy or any cancer treatment, healthy follicles of the ovary may be affected, causing low AMH levels.
So, if you have been wondering what causes low AMH at a young age, you have the answers. In older females, too, the causes of Low AMH discussed above hold good. Growing age is a prime factor for having a Low AMH level.
Now, Let Us See How Amh Levels and Fertility Are Related.
Women with lower levels of AMH are likely to have fewer chances of natural conception; there could be miscarriages, too. Born with a fixed number of eggs, the number of eggs starts to decline after attaining puberty, year after year. While it certainly doesn’t mean infertility if low AMH issues are addressed at a young age by experts, the AMH values will certainly improve.
The issue of low AMH at a young age can be addressed if promptly discussed with expert doctors. If there are lifestyle issues like stress management, nutritional deficiencies, etc., the AMH values can be improved by making changes in diet and lifestyle.
If you are having issues getting pregnant or have low AMH levels, you may get in touch with OrionIVF, the best IVF Centre in Pimpri Chinchwad. Get the best consultation for yourself. Our expert team of doctors will assist and guide you to get the best outcome for your current health status.