Infertility: How Men Can Improve Their Reproductive Health
Up to 15 percent of couples are infertile. This means they aren’t able to conceive a child, even though they’ve had frequent, unprotected sexual intercourse for a year or longer. In over a third of these couples, male infertility plays a role.
Male infertility is due to low sperm production, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can play a role in causing male infertility.
Symptoms
The main sign of male infertility is the inability to conceive a child. There may be no other obvious signs or symptoms. In some cases, however, an underlying problem such as an inherited disorder, a hormonal imbalance, dilated veins around the testicle or a condition that blocks the passage of sperm causes signs and symptoms.
Infertility in men can be the result of any number of lifestyle or medical procedures. Here is how you can improve the condition on a daily basis.
Infertility is a scary word, one that puts pressure and stress on a couple who are looking to conceive. Often, the focus is usually on the woman and her strug-gle, putting her in the spotlight as “the problem.”
For men, infertility means an inability to ejaculate or produce a sufficient amount of sperm. It’s a disease that affects the reproductive tract and can hinder the conception of a child. However, having this diagnosis does not have to be the end of the conversation, as there are many things men can do to protect themselves from this diagnosis as well as improve their reproductive health overall.
Other risks
To avoid infertility, it’s recommended that men keep their scrotal and testicular areas cool and comfortable. This means avoiding saunas, hot tubs, excessive biking and tight underpants, all of which can increase the body’s temperature and lead to a decrease in se-men. Smoking, drug use and excessive drinking can also negatively impact a healthy sperm growth.
Additionally, abnormal thyroid and prolactin hormone levels can also lead to male infertility, similar to women.
If either is the case, it can typically be treated by doctors, and fertility can become a likely future possibility.
Chemotherapy and exposure to radiation may also damage the testicles, which is why doctors often recommend that men consider a sperm bank before undergoing these types of treatment. Although the testicles will often recover from these procedures, it may take years, and there is always the chance that it could render one permanently infertile. A look into a man’s medical history will likely be a valuable asset in determining the cause of his infertility.
What are the solutions to this problem?
There are many choices, which usually involves treating the specific cause. Surgeries can be performed to repair any blockages in the reproductive tracts, and some medicines may help if the problem lies with a hormone imbalance or erectile dysfunction.
In vitro fertilisation or alternative insemination are also potential solutionsA quick chat with a specialist will help determine the right course of action so you can be on your way to creating the family you want. But before then, you can relax knowing that your diagnosis is not the end of the road, but rather a roadblock to overcome.