What not to do with an ovarian cyst. For those planning: the effect of alcohol on germ cells

It has a destructive effect not only on human germ cells, but also on the sex glands themselves. Problems with reproduction in men and women who drink alcohol differ significantly due to the peculiarities of the patterns of formation of germ cells. Alcohol intoxication is more easily tolerated by male reproductive cells, which, although damaged under the influence of ethyl alcohol, are formed in a man throughout his life. Typically, the process of completely replacing sperm with new ones takes up to three months.

However, the main danger of alcohol for a man is not the change in the structure of his reproductive cells, but the damage to the gonads. These organs have a specific blood supply system, similar to that in the brain, which is why alcohol dissolved in the blood can linger there for a long time. Because of this, degeneration of sperm precursors and cells that are responsible for secretion occurs. Thus, a man who has experienced alcohol intoxication for a long time has a high probability that his germ cells will be produced immediately with certain deviations. In addition, due to a lack of male hormone, his behavior will change significantly, pathologies of the reproductive system will appear, including impotence.

It would seem that what could be more terrible than the consequences of alcoholism for the male body? But in women, the problems associated with alcohol damage to the reproductive cells and glands are much more deplorable, not taking into account the fact that it develops much faster and is considered incurable. The fact is that female reproductive cells (eggs) are not formed during life, as in men, but at the time of birth they are “stored” until they fully mature and enter the uterine cavity (ovulation). Because of this, even single doses of alcohol can (albeit insignificantly) increase the risk of having an unhealthy child. But there is hardly a woman who wants to evaluate this probability for herself (even if it does not exceed one percent). If a woman regularly drinks alcohol, then this probability increases many times.

The effect of alcohol on the female reproductive system is similar to that described for the male body. The only difference is that in women the amount of female hormones in the blood decreases with an increase in the concentration of testosterone, which is normally secreted in a woman. Because of this, her appearance changes, masculinization occurs (loss of feminine traits) and behavior changes. Among other things, a woman’s behavior towards her child changes, and many instincts associated with caring for offspring are lost.

In addition, the reproductive system is constantly exposed to the destructive power of alcohol, which causes the likelihood of infertility to sharply increase, and menopause in such women occurs 15 years earlier than in healthy women.

As for children born to drinking parents, most often they have certain developmental defects, sometimes reaching deformities. The most common is fetal alcohol syndrome, which manifests itself as a delay in the mental and physical development of the child.

We all know about the absolute dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages and the obvious danger of this addiction specifically for the fertility of girls and women planning motherhood. Why is there such a special opinion regarding the health of eggs? In this article you will get the answer to this question. Get ready! Now we will either dispel this myth or confirm the legitimacy of such a well-established majority opinion.

Undeniable facts about eggs

The first scientifically proven fact

Alcohol causes an imbalance of sex hormones in a woman’s body, which leads to menstrual irregularities, problems with ovulation, and therefore makes it difficult to get pregnant.

A set of eggs is laid down genetically even before the birth of a baby girl and is given once for life. It is not replenished, but only decreases immediately after the start of the first ovulation and subsequent menstruation, that is, when the first female reproductive cell matures and exits into the fallopian tube. Then, approximately every month, another cell matures and this continues until the onset of .

Alcohol can indeed negatively affect the ovulation process and fertility. And this means that it can interfere with conceiving a baby. The fact is that due to the harmful effects of alcohol, hormonal balance is disrupted.

Due to changes in hormonal balance, ovulation does not occur (it becomes irregular). If a woman continues to drink alcohol after conception, then ethanol will definitely play a cruel joke both on the normal course of pregnancy and on the health of the unborn baby. By affecting the still unripe and tender fetus, alcohol interferes with the normal development of systems and organs. In addition, such negative processes can provoke the occurrence of congenital deformities and anomalies.

Second scientifically proven fact

It has not yet been proven that alcohol can destroy eggs. In addition, scientists have not yet found evidence that after many years, developmental defects can develop due to maternal drunkenness and destruction of the female reproductive cell. It is these two facts that prompted us to provide you with information about the topic discussed in this article. She will rely on the opinion of the famous gynecologist Elena Petrovna Berezovskaya.

Can alcohol penetrate the egg through the follicle tissue?

Each egg matures in the ovary and is covered with a “veil” of a vesicle - a follicle. This well-known anatomical fact prompts people far from medicine to ask themselves and their doctors the question of the possibility of alcohol exposure through this tissue.

Elena Berezovskaya answers it as follows: “Approximately 20% of ethanol entering the body is absorbed through the upper parts of the digestive system, and 80% in the intestines. After this, alcohol enters the blood and is delivered not only to the tissue of the ovary, but also to the follicle itself.

However, so far science cannot accurately determine the percentage of ethanol entering the ovaries. And in particular, it is in the follicular fluid in which the maturing egg “floats.”

Is it possible for a woman planning to conceive to drink a glass of wine or should this not be done under any circumstances?

However, large-scale studies have not yet been carried out to study the phenomenon of this fact for countries where national traditions involve the consumption of wine or other weak alcoholic drinks as part of the daily menu. After all, their birth rate does not suffer and data on the number of newborns with congenital alcohol syndrome does not exceed the indicators of those countries where such a tradition of alcohol consumption is completely absent.

Scientists cannot yet name the exact safe dose of ethanol. But remember! Alcoholism is dangerous for the future offspring of a couple in which at least one of the parents suffers from such addiction.

Was nature able to provide reliable protection for eggs from such negative factors as smoking, stress and poor nutrition?

A woman planning a pregnancy should completely abstain from drinking alcohol.

Each woman receives a set of millions of eggs. Why is the figure so high? Scientists explain this fact by the fact that thousands of such cells are lost every month due to a number of predisposing reasons.

• The most dangerous thing for this part of the reproductive system is smoking. The toxic compounds that enter a woman’s body (and there are about 100 of them!) contained in smoke are extremely toxic. And as a result of their influence, a lot of female germ cells die. In addition, the negative impact on the immune system and other systems also negatively affects the functioning of the woman’s reproductive system.
• Stress and poor nutrition are no less dangerous for the general and reproductive health of the fair sex. By themselves, these factors do not have a direct effect on female reproductive cells. However, they create conditions in which eggs cannot fully mature. This fact certainly affects the quality of the cells directly involved in the conception of the baby. And this means that stress and insufficient intake of nutrients into the expectant mother’s body will only affect the health of the unborn baby in a negative way.

Alcohol is really undesirable for planning pregnancy. However, so far scientists cannot give a clear answer: how it affects the condition of the eggs throughout a woman’s life. This means that, with a high degree of probability, moderate consumption of such drinks does not always cause problems with conception, pregnancy, childbirth and the health of the baby.

With regard to alcohol and a woman’s reproductive health, the following fact is undeniable and proven: alcoholism of the expectant mother always has a detrimental effect on the health of the newborn and poses a high risk of developing severe anomalies and malformations.

Which doctor should I contact?

When planning a pregnancy, it is necessary to be examined by a gynecologist and therapist. Often the habit of drinking alcohol leads to sexually transmitted infections, then treatment by a venereologist is necessary. Finally, if alcohol addiction has become a reality, the woman will need professional help from a narcologist.

Responsibility for the future generation lies with both the mother and father; they equally participate in creating the set of genes of their child.

The female reproductive system, due to its physiological characteristics, is susceptible to negative external influences. To reduce them to a minimum, careful attention to the health of the expectant mother is required from early childhood. Having reached puberty, a girl should be aware of the potential harm from drinking alcohol. Every milliliter of strong drink negatively affects future fertility.

Background

Since ancient times, the negative effects of alcohol on humans have been known. People prone to drinking lost their minds and health, but the most terrible consequence of an idle life was the birth of sick, weak and non-viable offspring. Such children had no choice; they became victims of the weakness of their parents.

In some countries, there were traditions according to which boys and girls of reproductive age were prohibited from drinking alcohol. The same ban was in effect during the times of Ancient Rome regarding all women and girls without exception. Here, warning signs were made on the homes of Roman women who were seen drinking alcohol so that men should not intrude into this house; it was believed that the children of such women would be drunkards.

In ancient India, lawbreakers had the silhouette of a bottle burned onto their foreheads with a hot iron. For twelve centuries to this day, Muslim countries in the East have had strict restrictions on alcohol.

Even in our time, drunkenness is considered an ancient Russian tradition. In fact, in Ancient Rus' only on major holidays they brewed beer, mead or mash, the strength of which did not exceed ten degrees.

Drinking on weekdays was then considered a shame and condemned. The northern style of drinking alcohol has long prevailed in Russia. Here, preference was traditionally given to strong drinks in the form of moonshine or vodka. In this regard, to this day, a deterioration in the alcohol situation is constantly recorded in the country, and it is widespread among the population. Here it has become an acute social and medical problem, it manifests itself in the form of diseases and high mortality, as well as the birth of sickly, handicapped children, the care of which often falls on the shoulders of society.

Effects of alcohol on eggs

In the male body, there is a constant renewal of germ cells; new sperm are formed every 2 months. If the expectant father gives up alcohol 3 months before conception, then the new sperm will not be affected by the negative effects of alcohol abuse. In women, the process of gametogenesis is quite complex. Even at the stage of intrauterine development, the future girl develops a full set of germ cells; over time, their number only decreases, and new eggs are not formed.

The eggs are formed inside the ovarian follicle. In a female fetus, the first follicles begin to develop at 11-12 weeks of intrauterine development. By mid-pregnancy there are about 7 million. By the time of birth, the number of follicles is noticeably reduced, a newborn child has 1-1.5 million left, and before the onset of the first menstruation 250-300 thousand. With age, the likelihood of pregnancy decreases significantly. By the age of 35, the production of eggs by the ovaries in a woman’s body drops sharply, leaving about 25 thousand follicles.

Upon reaching puberty, the ovaries receive a hormonal signal that stimulates the maturation of the egg. Each month, only one follicle matures, which produces an egg during the ovulation process on days 8-15 of the menstrual cycle.

Female gametes are the longest-living cells in the body. The ovarian membrane reliably protects this gold reserve from the effects of harmful factors. Unfortunately, it cannot resist the penetration of ethyl alcohol. Being a good solvent, this substance quickly penetrates into the ovary and damages part of the eggs. With each subsequent consumption of alcohol, the number of defective germ cells increases.

The exact amount of alcohol that can cause serious consequences is not determined; this is an individual dose that depends on many factors. It may turn out that after a few years during the process of conception, just such a damaged gamete will be fertilized.

There is a relationship between the fertility of a mother and her daughter. If a woman abused alcohol, smoking or drugs, her daughter’s egg count will be significantly lower than normal. In addition, genetic changes are often observed in its germ cells, which can lead to the birth of a child with congenital pathologies.

The effect of alcohol on fertility

To become intoxicated, a woman needs a much lower proportion of alcohol than a man. If they drink equally, then the concentration of ethanol in the woman’s blood will always be much higher. This is due to reduced production of enzymes by the liver (hydrogenase) and stomach (aldehyde dehydrogenase), which break down ethyl alcohol. In addition, the majority of the fair sex are not genetically adapted to drinking alcohol.

The average woman's weight is lower than that of a man; their body contains more fatty tissue and less fluid. Metabolic processes in adipose tissue are reduced and due to this, alcohol is removed from the body longer. Alcohol intoxication in women lasts longer, and the consequences are felt stronger and longer. The worst thing is that by abusing alcohol, she not only undermines her health, but also treats the future generation irresponsibly.

All women planning a pregnancy should avoid any strong drinks. It may even pose a danger. A glass of wine reduces fertility by 66%. Women who drink at least 3 glasses a week have only a 30% chance of conceiving, versus 90% for those who abstained from alcohol during pregnancy planning.

Regular alcohol abuse leads to rapid onset of menopause and menstrual irregularities. Against the background of frequent alcohol intoxication, the thyroid gland malfunctions.

From the above we can conclude that alcohol has a destructive effect on the female body. The consequences of its use are often irreversible, so parents should instill in girls from a very early age the idea of ​​future motherhood and taking care of their health.

Any feast is usually accompanied by the consumption of various alcoholic beverages. Many people believe that a small amount of alcohol will not cause any problems. However, even a small amount of strong drink poses a great danger to both the female and male body. For example, ethanol negatively affects germ cells, which can negatively affect future offspring.

Alcohol and conception

If you drink alcohol uncontrollably, then this negatively affects all organs and systems of the male and female body. According to many, if a woman is carrying a child, then only she bears the responsibility for the physical and intellectual health of the unborn baby. This is absolutely not true. Although, indeed, when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, the chances of having a healthy child are sharply reduced, we must not forget that both spouses took part in the process of conception. Therefore, the baby’s health also depends on healthy and high-quality male sperm.

Studies show that regular consumption of alcoholic beverages worsens the condition of all organs:

• the liver enlarges;
• irreversible changes occur in the heart;
• hormonal balance is disrupted.

Such changes are recorded at the cellular level, resulting in changes in human DNA. It is likely that the unborn child may develop a tendency to drink alcoholic beverages at the genetic level.

Many women who want to get pregnant often have a question: is it possible to conceive a baby from a drinking spouse? The answer is quite obvious: the probability that this will work out is quite high, but the child may not be fully functional.

The effect of alcohol on the male reproductive system

Alcohol helps you relax, increases libido and relieves stress. Such moments can please any man. But it should be remembered that in large doses, drinking alcohol has a negative effect on the quality and quantity of male reproductive cells.

Ethyl alcohol enters the seminal fluid through the bloodstream and has a depressant effect on sperm, as a result of which they become less mobile and anomalies in their structure arise (for example, a head or tail is missing). If there are a large number of immobile sperm in the semen, it makes pregnancy impossible.

If a man drinks small doses of alcohol for a long time, this leads to a decrease in reproductive cells by 20%. This also reduces the chances of a healthy man to quickly replenish his family. Sperm mature in 70–75 days. If a man drinks regularly, he does not allow his body to produce healthy sex cells, and the sperm will initially be abnormal. And given the fact that a healthy, non-drinking man’s semen contains about 30% of pathological cells, nothing good should be expected from a drinker.

It is known that everyone sperm contains 23 chromosomes. Uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages negatively affects chromosomes and one “broken” gene can lead to the birth of a child with genetic abnormalities. But it is not only the quality of the germ cells that suffers. Potency disturbance occurs: erection decreases, sexual intercourse becomes shorter, premature ejaculation occurs. This leads to the fact that sexual activity subsequently ceases if there is no alcohol in the blood. In men suffering from alcoholism with periodic binges, an erection often does not occur at all.

The effect of alcohol on women's health

Alcohol has a much more destructive effect on the female reproductive system. In men, reproductive cells are renewed regularly, but in women egg supply is limited the amount that was laid down in intrauterine development. The ovaries reliably protect the reproductive cells from various damages, but they are not able to withstand such a powerful solvent as ethyl alcohol. Alcohol penetrates the egg through the ovarian membrane, exposing it to certain mutations. It is possible that such a damaged gamete will someday be fertilized, leading to dire consequences.

Consequences of conception in a “drunken stupor”

Conceiving while drunk is a fairly common phenomenon. How does this affect pregnancy? The fusion of female and male reproductive cells in this case has a detrimental effect on both the unborn child and the woman herself - for example, she may have ectopic pregnancy occurs.

Scientists have proven that conceiving a child while drunk is fraught with various developmental defects in the baby. As a result, spontaneous miscarriage may occur. Regular consumption of strong drinks by a woman can ultimately lead to the fact that she will not be able to bear any pregnancy. If she does become pregnant, then you need to know that drinking alcohol in the first half of pregnancy can trigger the development of fetal alcohol syndrome in the child.

Children may be born with the following pathologies:

• disfigured face;
• poor hearing;
• underdevelopment of the limbs;
• chest deformation;
• delayed physical and mental development;
• vision problems.

Thus, it is impossible to determine in advance how much alcoholic drinks can have a negative impact on the unborn baby. If you do not have the strength to give up drinking alcohol, then it is advisable abstain from it for at least 3 – 5 months so that your health can be restored at this time.

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It is known that one of the most important aspects when planning pregnancy is for parents to give up bad habits, in particular, drinking alcohol. It is known that alcohol intoxication of one or both parents can have an extremely negative impact on the unborn child. Moreover, when a woman consumes such drinks, the negative impact on the fetus is usually higher. Why does this happen and how are alcohol and the maturation process of the germ cell related in this case?

Can I use it before ovulation?

Drinking wine or similar alcohol a few days before the release of the egg from the ovary will not affect the onset of ovulation in any way (sometimes it can speed it up, as discussed below). At the same time, there will also be no effect on a potential pregnancy because the toxins will be eliminated before conception occurs (if it occurs).

Can I use it during ovulation?

Does alcohol affect the process of maturation and release of eggs from the follicles, if it is already happening? Is it possible to drink alcohol during ovulation, and what effect will this have on the body? If alcoholic beverages drunk a few days before its onset are still capable of having any effect on the body, the likelihood of conception and potential pregnancy, then if consumed during the period when ovulation is already underway, there will be no effect at all.

This is due to the fact that the egg has already left the follicle, that is, at the moment it is completely autonomous from the woman’s body in a biochemical sense and has no connection with her blood. Thus, toxins from alcohol cannot affect the cell. Even after conception, the fertilized egg also remains autonomous from the maternal body for some time, and if pregnancy occurs, then there is a possibility that the ethyl components will be excreted from the body before the fertilized egg attaches and begins to interact directly with the maternal blood, receiving from it oxygen, nutrition.

However, there are studies showing that even when there is no physiological connection between the woman and the embryo, alcohol can still harm the pregnancy. This occurs because the risk of spontaneous abortion increases due to changes in the contractility and muscle tone of the uterus.

Effect of alcohol

How exactly does alcohol directly affect ovulation, and what physiological processes does it stimulate? To do this, you need to understand what ovulation is. The ovaries contain follicles that can mature. If the ovary matures, then the egg may begin to mature in it. Fluid accumulates around it in the follicle, which is something like a capsule. At the moment when the egg has finally matured, enough fluid accumulates in the follicle so that it can burst, and the egg can be released into the fallopian tube, and then into the uterine cavity, where fertilization can occur.

It is the process of the release of an egg from the follicle during its rupture that is called ovulation. It occurs for natural reasons, that is, under the influence of mechanical pressure of the liquid inside. But some biochemical processes can speed up this process. In particular, rupture of the follicle is provoked by certain chemicals in the blood. Including those contained in alcohol. Thus, drinking alcohol a few days before the expected maturation of the egg accelerates the process of ovulation.

Of course, this process is not entirely probable. Depending on the characteristics of the body of each individual woman, such drinks may have a more or less positive effect on the process of release of germ cells into the uterus. Therefore, you should not rely on it at the pregnancy planning stage, when it is necessary to “push up” ovulation by several days.

Effect on possible pregnancy

Any alcohol consumption by a woman during any period of the menstrual cycle affects a possible pregnancy. This is due to quite complex processes occurring in the reproductive system. If in men complete renewal of sperm occurs within two months (that is, drinking alcohol three months before conception will not have any effect on the child), then in women this is not the case. Even at the stage of intrauterine development, a complete set of germ cells is laid down, which, as the follicles mature, also mature and leave the body.

That is, new cells are not formed, only old ones are “used up”. Thus, drinking alcohol at any time has the potential to affect eggs, regardless of whether it was consumed during ovulation or not.

Although it has been noted that alcoholic beverages drunk directly during ovulation can have a more pronounced negative effect on the fetus. When an almost mature egg is in the follicle, it is more vulnerable to the negative effects of toxins than one that has not yet matured. If a woman drank alcohol during this period, then such an egg comes out of the follicle already changed. This leads to the following consequences:

1. Difficulty in getting pregnant, as fertilization is difficult, and in addition, the attachment of the fertilized egg, if fertilization does occur;
2. The birth of a child with pathologies, since the foundation for the health of the fetus is laid at conception, and when pregnancy occurs in a state of alcoholic intoxication, the fertilized egg for some time feeds on blood containing, although minimal, but still present, a percentage of toxins;
3. Difficulties with pregnancy, difficult pregnancy.

Of course, the effect of alcoholic drinks on ovulation is not so critical. And it is not at all necessary that a child conceived after drinking alcoholic beverages in moderate quantities will be born with a pathology. However, this is possible. Moreover, if a woman drinks large amounts of alcohol for a long time, then the child may have pathologies even if she did not drink during the period of ovulation and the day before it. Whereas a single drink of alcohol by a non-drinking woman, even during the period of ovulation, almost never has any effect on the future fetus.

It is worth remembering that we are talking about alcoholic drinks of a natural composition; the word alcohol in this case refers directly to low-degree alcohol. But in addition to ethyl alcohol itself, wine, whiskey, champagne and other drinks contain sugars, dyes, and various chemical and plant (such as in beer) impurities. And they are the ones that can have a more negative impact on pregnancy, the body of the mother and the unborn child than alcohol itself. For example, beer can influence hormonal balance, as it contains phytoestrogens, which means it potentially reduces the likelihood of pregnancy.

Consequences for ovulation

Alcohol taken once in a moderate dose will not affect this process in any way. Even though some stimulation of follicle rupture is possible, this will still happen exactly in the ovary in which it was supposed to. That is, it will not have any effect on the subsequent functioning of the reproductive system. However, often abuse can negatively affect the immune system, hormonal balance, metabolism, and therefore have a negative impact on the reproductive system.

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