What Is Hyperovulation?: Causes, Signs of Hyperovulation, Supplements

What Is Hyperovulation?

Hyperovulation is when a woman releases more than one egg during a menstrual cycle. This phenomenon is also known as superovulation. If the multiple eggs that are released get fertilised, there is a chance of multiple pregnancies and births, such as twins, triplets, and so on. 

Hyperovulation happens as a result of hormone changes. The main hormones responsible for hyperovulation are:

1. Follicle-stimulating Hormone (FSH)

• It is secreted by your pituitary gland (located in the brain) and promotes the growth of follicles within your ovary during the menstrual cycle. Normally, only one follicle matures and releases an egg, but in hyperovulation, your ovaries respond to FSH by maturing more than one follicle simultaneously.

2. Luteinising Hormone (LH)

• This hormone is also secreted by your pituitary gland. Normally, a rise in LH causes a mature follicle to rupture and release an egg. In hyperovulation, LH surge ruptures more than one follicle during a single menstrual cycle, releasing multiple eggs.

Causes of Hyperovulation

Have you ever wondered why some women have twins or even triplets and quadruplets while others don’t? This is because of hyperovulation, where the ovaries release two or more eggs during the same menstrual cycle. 

What causes hyperovulation? Let us find out.

1. Genetics:

• If your mother or sister has had twins or multiples, you are more likely to hyperovulate yourself. This inherited genetic tendency makes your ovaries more sensitive to FSH and LH, thereby increasing the chances for more than one egg to be released in a menstrual cycle.

2. Age and Hormonal Changes:

• According to a study conducted on the role of maternal age in twin pregnancy outcomes, the probability of twin pregnancy increased with maternal age, with most twins born to women aged 40 or over.

3. Fertility Treatments: 

• Fertility treatments cause hyperovulation intentionally to increase the chances of pregnancy, especially in assisted reproductive techniques like in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

4. Nutrition and Lifestyle Factors:

• Regular intake of fatty foods can cause obesity and lead to irregularities in ovulation, possibly affecting hyperovulation. Women with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) produce more oestrogen, which can overstimulate the ovaries and cause them to hyper ovulate.

Hyperovulation – Signs and Symptoms

Hyperovulation usually goes unnoticed. However, if you observe more closely, you will notice subtle changes in your body. The most common symptoms of hyperovulation are:

• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Abdominal bloating
• Spotting or slight bleeding
• Breast tenderness and swelling
• Increased cervical mucus
• Vaginal discharge, which is colourless or white and stretchy, resembling egg-white.

How Does Hyperovulation Affect Fertility?

Hyperovulation has both positive and negative impacts on your fertility. Here’s how:

Positive Impacts of Hyperovulation

1. Increased Fertility

• If hyperovulation means the release of more than one egg in a cycle, doesn’t that also mean an increase in fertility? Yes, you are right! Hyperovulation increases fertility and the chances to conceive.

2. High Chances of Multiple Births

• If both or more eggs released during hyperovulation are fertilised, it increases your chances of conceiving twins or multiples (triplets, quadruplets and so on).

Negative Impacts of Hyperovulation

1. Risk of Multiple Pregnancies

• Hyperovulation increases the chances of multiple pregnancies (twins or higher-order multiples). This brings with it complications like preterm labour, high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.

Read more on diabetic healthy food habits.

2. Hormonal Imbalance

• Hyperovulation is related to hormonal imbalance, especially when it is caused by fertility treatments. These changes in hormone levels can affect your overall reproductive health.

3. Overstimulation of Ovaries

• When hyperovulation is induced by fertility treatments, it carries a risk of a serious complication called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Here, the excessive hormones cause swelling and leakage of fluids from your ovaries into the abdomen.

Though hyperovulation increases your chances of conceiving, it also has its downsides. Hyperovulation, when stimulated as part of fertility treatments, should be carefully monitored and managed to prevent complications.

Is Hyperovulation Genetically Linked?

Hyperovulation runs in families; women with a family history of twins, triplets, quadruplets or higher-order multiples, particularly on their mother’s side, are more likely to hyperovulate. This genetic link makes the ovaries of such women more responsive to hormonal changes taking place during the menstrual cycle. 

Hyperovulation and Ethnicity

Recent studies show that ethnicity also plays an important role in hyperovulation. It has shown that women from certain ethnic groups have a higher likelihood of hyperovulation.

Studies show that twinning is more common throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world. 

Hyperovulation in Menopause

“The ovary establishes several million non-growing follicles at around five months of gestational age, which is followed by a decline in menopause when approximately 1,000 remain at an average age of 50–51 years” – Pubmed.

In response to this rapid decline in the number of follicles, your body releases more FSH, trying to get the follicles to grow and mature. However, high levels of FSH can end up in multiple follicles maturing at the same time and increase the chances of multiple pregnancies.

How Does Hyperovulation Impact Pregnancy Outcomes?

Hyperovulation plays a significant role in pregnancy. Let us explore how it affects the outcomes of pregnancy:

1. Multiple Births

• When your ovaries release multiple eggs in a cycle, and they get fertilised, it increases your likelihood of conceiving twins, triplets, quadruplets, and so on. 

2. Health Risks

• Multiple births can make normal delivery difficult and increase the risk of caesarean section and chances of premature birth and low birth weight in the babies.

3. Monitoring During Pregnancy

Doctors monitor women with hyperovulation closely during pregnancy as it increases the chances of multiple pregnancies and risks associated with it, like preterm labour, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy). 

Supplements to Support Ovulation and Reproductive Health

Taking the right supplements can help support ovulation. Here is a list of expert-recommended supplements for hyperovulation:

1. Folic Acid

Supplementing folic acid during pregnancy supports your baby’s healthy growth and development, prevents birth defects and is very useful in women who may conceive multiple pregnancies.

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D balances the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which in turn regularises your menstrual cycle, ovulation and pregnancy. Adequate levels of vitamin D improve the quality of your egg and boost your fertility naturally.

3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Supplementing these healthy fats is an easy way to balance your hormones, improve blood circulation to your ovaries and boost your egg quality. It also reduces inflammation and supports ovulation.

4. Zinc and Selenium

Zinc and selenium are essential minerals that regulate your hormones, aid in the development of follicles, and help your ovaries produce healthy eggs. 

5. Herbal Supplements

Common herbs like chasteberry (Vitex), Indian ginseng (Ashwagandha), red clover, and evening primrose oil help balance your hormones, regularise the menstrual cycle, improve the quality of eggs and boost overall reproductive health. 

Medical Interventions for Hyperovulation

Some conditions related to hyperovulation require medical treatment, especially if it is risky to the mother and baby’s well-being. Your doctor might recommend medical interventions like:

1. Fertility Medications: 

Common fertility medications include Clomid (a non-steroidal medicine that causes your pituitary gland to release hormones needed to stimulate ovulation) and Letrozole (a medicine taken during the initial days of your menstrual cycle to induce ovulation). Your doctor may also prescribe hormonal injectable medicines like gonadotropins that induce hyperovulation for women who are trying to conceive.

2. Pelvic Ultrasound:

Regular ultrasound scans are carried out along with your fertility treatments so that your healthcare provider can assess the number and size of mature follicles in your ovaries to ensure that only a safe number of eggs are fertilised. This prevents risks associated with multiple pregnancies.

3. In Vitro Fertilisation:

IVF is an assisted reproductive technique where the eggs are extracted directly from your ovaries,  fertilised in the lab and then transferred back into your uterus. IVF is helpful in women who are hyperovulating as your doctor can select the healthiest eggs to be fertilised and also reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies.

Complications of Hyperovulation

Though hyperovulation is very beneficial for fertility treatments, it carries certain risks and complications:

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (swelling of ovaries causing fluid leak into your abdomen)
• Increased risk of multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets or higher-order multiples)
• Gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy)
• Preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• Miscarriage (sudden loss of pregnancy before the 20th week)
• Premature birth (when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy)

How to Manage Hyperovulation and Fertility?

We have already discussed the positive and negative effects of hyperovulation. Managing hyperovulation becomes important because it can affect your fertility, hormone levels and your overall well-being. Here are some steps to manage hyperovulation:

1. Track Your Ovulation

Knowing the normal pattern of your menstrual cycle can help you identify even subtle changes. You can monitor your ovulation by:

• Using ovulation predictor kits (A urine test to detect ovulation, which you can do yourself at home).
• Tracking your basal body temperature (measuring your body temperature using a basal thermometer that has greater precision than a regular one).
• Relying on period and cycle tracker apps.

2. Practise a Healthy Lifestyle

Eating a whole and balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and nuts, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly and practising relaxation techniques like yoga and controlled breathing can help you stay fit physically, mentally and emotionally, thereby improving your reproductive and overall health.

Wrapping It Up 

Hyperovulation is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs in some women, which is also very important to be aware of, especially if you are trying to have a baby, facing fertility-related issues or planning to go for fertility treatments. 

We hope you have a clear idea about what hyperovulation is, its symptoms, its impacts on your fertility and its management. Consult your doctor about hyperovulation to learn more and guarantee optimal reproductive health and well-being.