When a couple plans on having a child, they often have high expectations and are excited at the prospect of adding to their family.
Unfortunately, an estimated 15 to 20 percent of all couples are infertile. In 50 percent of these cases, the problem lies with the male.
Male infertility is the inability to get a woman pregnant. It is quite common; although many couples are able to conceive naturally without being artificially assisted, it is still a very serious condition and should always be discussed with your doctor or another health professional. Male fertility is very sensitive to chemicals in our environment, or in our foods. There are certain compounds that are found in the foods we eat that can alter the functioning of the sperm.
Male infertility can be due to several causes, including abnormal sperm function, blockage of sperm, illnesses, injuries, lifestyle choices, low sperm production, and more.
Of course, if you suffer from male infertility, one of the biggest issues is finding a good doctor. Unfortunately, more and more fertility specialists now prefer to treat only cases of female infertility. However, there are some life-saving options that can help treat male infertility, too.
While being infertile is frustrating, there is a wide range of treatments available to help improve the couple’s chances of having a child.
Watch Video about Male Infertility
Common Symptoms of Infertility
Obviously, the main symptom of infertility is the inability of a man to impregnate a woman, however, there are sometimes underlying problems, such as a hormonal imbalance, which prevents this from occurring.
Although most men never notice any other symptoms, the signs and symptoms, other than the obvious, include some of the following:
- A lower than normal sperm count (this would be less than 15 million per ml of semen)
- Pain, swelling, or lumps in the testicles
- Continuous respiratory infections
- Sexual dysfunction, including reduced sexual desire or difficulty with ejaculation
- Little or no sense of smell
- Growths in the breast(s)
- Decreased hair growth (beard or body hair)
If you and your partner have been unable to conceive a child after one year of regular, unprotected sex, and the female has been ruled out as having possible problems, and you have one or more of the following conditions:
- Problems with erections, ejaculation, or other dysfunctions
- If you have pain or discomfort in the testicle area
- If you have a family history of prostate or testicle problems
- If you have had groin, scrotum, penis, or testicle surgery
You should consult a physician to ascertain what the exact problem might be.
Possible Causes of Male Infertility
Causes for male infertility are quite varied and can be caused by environmental issues, medical problems, as well as health or lifestyle choices. Some of the possible causes can be:
Medical Causes:
- Varicocele
- Infections
- Ejaculation problems
- Antibodies attacking sperm
- Tumors or cancer
- Undescended testicles
- Hormone imbalances
- Defects in the tubes that transport sperm
- Certain medications
- Chromosome defects
- Erectile dysfunction
- Celiac disease
- Previous surgeries
Health and Lifestyle Choices
Obviously, lifestyle choices can have a lot to do with what makes you infertile. Hence, it is possible to have infertility not due to a combination of all of the above, but because of bad lifestyle choices.
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Recreational Drugs
- Stress
- Tight underwear
- Prolonged periods of sitting
Environmental Issues
However, lifestyle choices alone won’t be the sole reason behind male infertility. It’s necessary to look at environmental issues that often cause male infertility and how these issues can contribute to the overall infertility diagnosis.
- Exposure to heavy metals
- Frequent use of hot tubs, spas, or saunas
- Industrial chemical exposure
- X-rays or radiation
- Prior illness (such as chicken pox later in life)
Infertility can be stressful for couples. Some men feel embarrassed and “less manly” because they cannot father a child. Don’t wait to speak to someone about your concerns. If you are having relationship problems because of this, seek counseling.
It is highly likely that these combined factors will act together to cause male infertility. Even if there are conditions that can be avoided by healthy lifestyle choices, they will not completely prevent infertility.
If you suspect that you might be infertile, speak to your doctor so the correct determination and course of action can be taken, if possible.
Is there something we can do to increase the chances of this happening, to help the chance of conception? Yes, there are some things that a man must do in order to increase the chance of pregnancy. The process may be difficult, but it is not impossible. We can always increase the likelihood of pregnancy, simply by improving the quality and motility of male sperm. Of course, this takes some work and can be quite difficult at times.
If the underlying problem can be addressed, there are often a multitude of different treatments, which could include surgery, taking pills, IVF, etc. Learn more about how to treat male infertility using the link below.
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