Due to the unhe althy lifestyle, the number of men who have too little sperm in their semen or the quality of these sperm is too low to fertilize without medical intervention is increasing dramatically.
Male fertility is mainly harmed by a sedentary lifestyle, testicular overheating, excess alcohol, drugs (especially cocaine, marijuana, morphine), and toxic working conditions (e.g. working at high temperatures). Sometimes it is enough to change your lifestyle to return fertility .
Researching the causes of male infertility is much simpler and cheaper than in the case of a woman. So don't delay when such a problem is suspected.
Causes of infertility: sperm is of poor quality
The basic examination, apart from the assessment of the correctness of the assessment of sexual organs, is the examination of semen. They are taken as a result of masturbation, at least after 3 days of sexual abstinence. A he althy, correct ejaculate should have a volume of about 5 ml (the content of a teaspoon), but a range of 2 to 5 ml is allowed. Each of them has from 20 to 300 million sperm, of which at least 30 percent. should be properly built, at least 40 percent. adequate mobility (average speed not less than 25m / sec).
One-time test does not prejudge infertility. As a rule, the examination is repeated after 2-3 months and, if the result is confirmed then, further diagnostics and treatment are initiated.
The most common cause of male infertility are disorders related to the quality of sperm (what matters here is the lifestyle, the use of certain medications, e.g. neuroleptics, antidepressants) or testicular damage (torsion of the testicles, incorrect positioning of the testicles, as well as improper structure of the penis) and age - over 40 years.
Diseases that may affect male fertility
Pig
This viral disease, one of the typical childhood diseases, with painful swelling of the salivary glands, neck and mandible, is very dangerous, not only because the paramyxovirus that causes it is extremely contagious (it is easily spread by droplets, but even by breathing or using the same vessels). Mainly because in about 1/3 of boys, after reaching puberty, inflammatory swelling of the testicles may occur. It is a complication thatcan cause infertility. Until an effective vaccine was introduced in the 1970s, mumps was a very common disease in children. Today it occurs sporadically. However, it is estimated that about 5 percent. the vaccine does not develop the desired immunity. In such cases, complications may also occur, the symptoms of which are high fever (above 39.5 degrees C), vomiting, inflammatory changes or swelling of the testicles, severe headaches. The occurrence of complications requires prompt medical intervention.
Varicocele
The disease consists in the widening, twisting and lengthening of the veins that collect blood from the testicle and form the so-called scrotum. flagellate plexus. This plexus is part of the seminal cord, in its scrotum section, above the testicle. Varicose veins of the spermatic cord are most often found in young men. They appear in about 15 percent. men, mainly on the left (90%). Approx. 30-40 percent men seeking infertility advice are patients with varicocele. The disease is believed to be caused by insufficient or inborn lack of valves in the testes. This impairs the outflow of venous blood that "remains" in the veins, putting excessive pressure on the flagellar plexus and causing it to widen, elongate and twist.
Varicocele cause degenerative changes in the testes - the testicles become chronically hypoxic and overheated. For the proper development of sperm cells, the temperature in the scrotum should be 2-3 degrees C lower than in the abdominal cavity. In a patient with varicocele, this temperature difference is only 0.1 degrees Celsius. And although the varicocele is essentially one-sided, degenerative changes often affect both testicles (the temperature rises in the entire scrotum). Changes in the testes reduce the total number of sperm in the semen and increase the percentage of abnormal sperm.
Kallmann syndrome
This is a genetic disorder, mainly characterized by a lack or impairment of smell, but also delayed or even lack of puberty. Men with Kallmann's syndrome have very small testicles, a small penis, very low testosterone levels, and an absent olfactory bulb. The disease is caused by a deficiency in the secretion of gonadoliberin - gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). If Kallmann syndrome is diagnosed over the age of 16, eunuchoid body proportions often occur. The arm span may exceed your height by 6 cm and the upper to lower body ratio may be reduced. Kallmann's syndrome gives a fairly good therapeutic prognosis for the maintenance of secondary sexual characteristics.getting fertile is a bit worse. Patients with a testicle size greater than 2.5 cm have a better prognosis.
Pituitary insufficiency
Diseases of the pituitary gland (e.g. pituitary adenoma) are often associated with a deficiency of gonadotrophins, which is accompanied, among others, by infertility.
Sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections, mainly caused by Chlamydia trachomatis or Mycoplasma hominis, can develop complications that may lead to permanent infertility. Infection with other bacteria can also lead to the maturation of abnormal sperm. Inflammation of the testes and epididymides, caused by the penetration of e.g. E.coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Ureaplasmaeuraelyticum, may lead to fibrosis in the testicles, which will reduce them and even disappear.
Inflammation of the prostate and seminal vesicles
This condition may make sexual intercourse impossible and, moreover, lead to unfavorable changes in semen, significantly reducing the ability of sperm to fertilize.
ImportantDiabetes, nephritis, tuberculosis, pancreatic, thyroid and liver diseases - these general diseases are also, although to a lesser extent, a risk factor for male infertility. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy also lead to changes in fertility. Therefore, before possible irradiation or chemical treatment, it is worth freezing the semen.