Factors that affect male infertility
Fertility is a natural process to produce an offspring. Usually, a man’s fertility is linked to its sperms. The treatment for male infertility has changed very minimally over the years and is still provided as an extension of female infertility, to be accessed when treatment for the female partner has not resulted in conception. Sperm count is one of the factors which determines men’s fertility.
Men are most likely to be fertile if at least 15 million sperm per milliliter is present in the semen discharged in a single ejaculation. Too little sperm count in an ejaculation indicates low fertility. Sperm movement or motility is also an important indicator of male fertility. Sperm must move through a woman’s cervix and uterus to reach and fertilize an egg.
Motility of sperm indicates fertility while movement less than 40% indicates low fertility. Various factors like, environmental, genetic, and medical can affect men’s fertility. Some more factors which affect fertility in men are: Improper functioning of the pituitary gland can affect fertility. Pituitary gland signals the testicles to produce testosterone and its inactivity can cause lower fertility. Sperm transport disorders. Testicular disease. Aging also plays an important role in fertility. Sperm motility and sperm count decrease with age especially after age 50 which causes lower fertility.
Steps to be taken to lower the risk
While it is difficult to prevent infertility entirely, the following measures can be taken to lower the risk:-
- Avoiding radiation when possible
- Avoiding exposure to toxic substance e.g. Smoking/ occupational hazard
- Maintaining a good and healthy hygiene
- Avoiding long, hot baths
- Wearing loose-saggy fitting underwear, avoid tight underwear
The degree of fertility decreases with age for a woman and also for a man but in different ways and different stages. One of the most important factors that determine fertility is age. One of the reasons why fertility decreases with age has to do with the volume and quality of the sperm. For a start, semen volume decreases with age. The amount of semen that you produce as well as the sperm’s ability to move towards an egg, decreases continually starting at the age of 20.
Semen consists of mobile sperm cells and seminal fluid that transports the sperm cells and enhances their fertilization abilities.
To better fertility: –
- Eating healthy and exercise regularly.
- In case of obesity, losing weight can help increase sperm count.
- Lifestyle changes also helps such as sleeping regularly, following a healthy routine.
Extreme stress, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive smoking and the use of hard drugs can gather together to worsen your sperm count. If any of these habits are part of your lifestyle, working toward changing them could increase your chances of remaining fertile. Fertility specialists are not only beneficial for women. In cases when you and your other half are finding it hard to conceive, a specialist can help you combat age-related fertility issues. As far as treating infertility is concerned, most healthcare providers first guide the patient with the conventional route of cure:
- They prescribe medicines to help increase sperm production/ mobility.
- They advise in avoiding long hours bathing with hot water.
- They put the patient on medicines to improve hormonal imbalance.
In the rest of severe cases, doctors suggest treatments such as Artificial insemination, In vitro fertilization (IVF), or Donor sperm procedure.
We strive to provide you the best treatment with utmost care and our Department of Fertility has one of the largest IVF centres in Gurgaon with a combined team experience of over 100 years and a 55% IVF success rate.
In case you need more guidance on this concern, feel free to connect with one of our Fertility and IVF expert, Dr. Pankaj Talwar at the Southend Fertility & IVF centre, CK Birla Hospital. Book Appointment today.
