Infertility has become a common problem for many couples who are trying to conceive. But you should never allow your mind to become upset in such a condition. Usually, couples in their 20s or early 30s should try to conceive naturally for a year. Conception is a tricky process, and a woman can only become pregnant if intercourse is done during her fertility window. Many couples can become pregnant even in the first attempt. You must consult your healthcare provider if you cannot conceive within one year.
Nowadays, many couples have become open to talking about their fertility problems, and it is not a topic to be discussed behind closed doors.
Today, we are going to discuss male infertility. In men, semen quality is evaluated based on parameters like sperm mobility, sperm quality, and overall volume. With proper low sperm count treatment, men can increase their fertility.
Below are some of the significant factors which are responsible for infertility in men.
The lifestyle factor:
- Diet: If you are facing male infertility symptoms,you must improve your semen quality. To do this, you need to have a balanced diet rich in zinc, selenium, Vitamin C, and E. Consuming too much alcohol, caffeine, processed food, or tobacco can hamper the semen quality.
- Exercise: Regular physical exercise is good for overall health, and this improves the semen quality. However, you should never be involved in excessive endurance training, which can increase the temperature of the scrotal and reduce sperm production.
- Stress: Excessive stress can lead to hormonal imbalance, which can impact your sperm quality and production. You should be involved in stress management activities like yoga, meditation, and relaxation exercises.
- Sleep: For a healthy reproductive system, you must take adequate sleep. Sleep disorders or poor sleep quality can affect hormonal regulation and semen parameters.
Environmental factors:
- Exposure to chemicals: Certain chemicals like heavy metals, pesticides, and industrial chemicals can reduce sperm quality as they disrupt your hormonal balance.
- Heat exposure: Increased scrotal temperature due to hot baths, tight clothing, or sitting on a chair for a longer duration can impact sperm production and mobility. You must avoid keeping your laptop on your lap for an extended duration.
- Radiation: Exposure to ionizing radiation during medical procedures like radiation therapy can have an impact on your sperm DNA, leading to infertility.
- Electromagnetic radiation: Exposure to electromagnetic radiation coming from mobile phones and laptops also impacts fertility.
Medical factors:
- Underlying health conditions: Some medical conditions like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension can impact sperm quality. Proper treatment of such conditions may improve your fertility.
- Medications: Some medicines that include chemotherapy drugs, anabolic steroids, and some antidepressants can reduce sperm production. You must consult the best fertility hospital before taking any such medication if you are trying to conceive.
- Hormonal imbalance: Certain conditions that affect hormone production, like thyroid dysfunction and hypogonadism, can disturb sperm quality. In such situations, your doctor may advise hormone replacement therapy or other medical treatments to restore fertility.
- Genetic factors: Abnormalities in genes, like mutations in genes or chromosomal disorders, can lead to infertility or sub-fertility in men. In such conditions, you can opt for genetic counseling if you have a family history of infertility.
Behavioral factors:
- Substance Abuse: Intake of recreational drugs like marijuana, opioids, cocaine, etc, can affect your sperm quality. You should quit these substances to improve your fertility prospects.
- Sexual practices: Ejaculation practices, intercourse timings, and sexual abstinence duration can influence your semen parameters. For optimum sperm quality, you must have regular and moderate ejaculation with shorter abstinence periods before intercourse.
- Exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STIs): You must get treatment for STIs like gonorrhea, Chlamydia, or HIV as they can cause inflammation and scarring of the reproductive tract. It may cause infertility problems. You must be involved in safe sexual practices with frequent STI screenings to maintain good reproductive health.
Symptoms of male infertility
The main and obvious infertility symptom is unable to conceive. In some conditions, the main cause of male infertility is underlying conditions like dilated veins around testicles or a condition that blocks sperm movement, and hormonal imbalance. Some of the symptoms of male infertility include:
- Difficulty during ejaculation
- Recurrent respiratory infections
- Abnormal breast growth
- Inability to smell
- Lower sperm count
Conclusion
There are various reasons which can hamper your semen quality. These include lifestyle choices, medical conditions, environmental exposures, and genetic predispositions. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, minimizing exposure to harmful substances, and implementing suitable medical intervention for your underlying health condition can improve your semen quality and increase fertility outcomes.
If you are struggling with infertility, you must consult your fertility specialist for personalized evaluation and management strategies. Getting treatment for your underlying condition and proper medical care can boost your chances of successful conception.