What Are the Symptoms of Poor Egg Quality?

Fertility is essential when starting a family or looking to prevent unplanned pregnancy. In this post, we discuss the symptoms and reasons behind poor egg quality.

By Nancy Amon
Edited by Taj Schlebusch

Published October 30, 2021.

Monitoring signs of poor egg quality and fertility is vital for trying to conceive a baby. While many older women from ages 40 and onward are at higher risk of producing eggs of low quality, poor egg quality at 30 and younger isn't impossible.

Knowing the symptoms will help establish poor egg quality treatment sooner than later.

What Causes Poor Egg Quality?

Egg (Ovum) quality is defined by the egg's ability to become a healthy embryo after fertilization. A healthy egg can produce energy to survive throughout the pregnancy and produce and combine with sperm chromosomes.

Apart from age, poor egg quality also occurs due to cancer treatments, genetic disorders, being overweight, endometriosis, and heavy smoking, to name a few. Hence, younger women can experience poor egg quality too.

Does Egg Quality Vary From Month To Month?

The egg quality doesn't change with each period. However, every woman is born with an allotted count of eggs to span throughout her lifetime of fertility years. The best eggs are released in the earlier stages of her life, leaving the lower quality eggs later on.

How Do You Know If Your Eggs Are Of Poor Quality?

Before getting poor egg quality treatment, such as IVF, there are a series of tests to establish whether the egg will survive the process. Some tests include a uterus examination, levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and blood tests. These tests and examinations will help the doctor determine the sizes of the eggs remaining and their quality.

Symptoms Of Poor Egg Quality

  • Experiencing a long menstrual cycle of 35 days.
  • Short menstrual days that last less than 21
  • Experiencing no period
  • Having heavy menstrual flow
  • Experiencing miscarriages
  • Struggling to get pregnant

How Can You Improve Your Egg Quality?

To help improve the quality of eggs, eat a balanced diet. It's also good to get regular exercise to ensure that the body maintains optimum function and balance. Quit smoking as soon as possible and try to keep your stress levels low.