Infertility in Men

 

Infertility in Men – How to Stay Safe?

 

Longing for having a child while suffering from a social fear of infertility has been a part of human nature. And with the hectic lifestyle of the present world, male infertility is onthe rise.

And about 40% of total infertilities are associated with men.

Male infertility refers to a health concern that reduces the possibility for his female partner to get pregnant. This condition usually occurs because of problems in sperm production and sperm delivery.

Fertility in males is appraised by a simple semen analysis which checks the sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology.

In this blog post, we shall discuss various aspects of male infertility and look at certain ways which you can implement to stay safe from male infertility.

 

Symptoms

The primary sign of male infertility is the incapability to conceive a child. There are no other obvious signs or symptoms.

However, in some cases, an underlying concern like an inherited disorder, hormonal imbalance, a condition that blocks a passage to sperm flow, and dilated veins around the testicles, results in signs and symptoms.

Some of the symptoms and signs which you might notice are mentioned below:

 

·         Repeatedrespiratory infections

·         Incapability to smell

·         Abnormal breast growth (Gynecomastia)

·         Decreased body or facial hair

·         A sperm count lower than the normal level

·         Swelling or lump in the testicle area

·         Issues with sexual function, such as reduced sexual desire, difficulty with ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction

 

Causes

Various factors can lead to male infertility, some of which are mentioned below:

·         Enlarged veins in the genital region

·         Inflammation that causes problems in sperm production

·         Damage to sperm ducts makes sperm delivery a problem

·         Obesity and stress

·         Various bad lifestyle habits such as drinking, smoking, drug consumption, and various sorts of addictions

·         Hormonal imbalance

·         Exposure to radiation can lower your sperm count

·         Delayed ejaculation (When ejaculation occurs late or doesn’t occur)

·         Retrograde ejaculation (Semen passes back into the bladder instead of out)

·         Erectile dysfunction

·         Torsion, where the testicles get twisted inside

·         Undescended testicles triggeringsperm production problems

 

Preventing Male infertility

By taking better care of your body, male infertility could be prevented.Here are some suggestions mentioned:

 

·         Balance your weight: Overweight is known to cause infertility in men. You should work towards maintaining a BMI of 25 levels. Hence, a lifestyle incorporating sufficient sleep, optimal physical activity levels, yoga/meditation is crucial. 

 

 

·         Reduce/Stopthe intake of alcohol, drugs and smoking: Nicotine present in cigarettes can reduce your sperm quality. Alcohol, on the other hand, tends to lower testosterone levels when consumed excessively.

 

Similarly, indulging in steroids, narcotics, testosterone, marijuana, recreational drugs, etc. can change your hormone levels and reduce your sperm quality and quantity.

 

Addictions to such substances can disrupt the functioning of several biological processes. Hence, anyone must either monitor or stop their intake.

 

·         Avoid laptop and mobile radiation: Several electronic gadgets such as laptops, mobiles, TVs, etc. can affect your sperm production negatively. You must never sit with a laptop on your lap for a long time.

 

Moreover, you should keep your mobile phone either in a bag, or hooked to your belt instead of a pant pocket.

 

·         Consume healthy food: A low presence of essential nutrients, especially, Vitamin C and Zinc, can affect your sperm quality. Hence, ensure you consume a healthy and balanced diet at proper intervals.

 

You can increase the intake of fertility foods such as carrots, green leafy vegetables, eggs, citrus foods, bananas, almonds, sunflower seeds and so on. Include them as much as you can in your daily diet.

 

·         Exercise regularly: Exercising consistently is a good way to ensure you can enjoy a healthy immune system. This, in turn, can promise you quality sperm production.

 

However, ensure you practice great caution specifically while engaging in physical activities or sports where testes are properly protected and may get injured (e.g. horse riding, cycling, martial arts). While performing them, you can wear a jockstrap. 

 

·         Wear proper size undergarments: Never wear tight-fitting undergarments. Doing so can raise the temperature of the testes, which then can hamper your sperm count and fertility.

 

Conclusion

Male infertility is on the rise. Hence, it is critical for every man out there to have the above-mentioned points in mind to maintain fertility at a better level.

So when would it be advisable for a man to have a semen analysis performed?

Usually if a man is not able to conceive within a year of trying. He can get it done earlier or before attempting, if the above mentioned signs and symptoms