What is male fertility?
Male fertility is an important topic that is often glossed over. Male fertility refers to the ability of a man to father a child. While it is often assumed that fertility is simply a woman's issue, male fertility plays a vital role in the reproductive process.
Several factors can impact a man's fertility, including age, health, lifestyle choices, and underlying medical conditions. This article will explore how one can boost sperm health and improve the chances of starting a family.
The common symptoms of male fertility issues
Several common symptoms can indicate male fertility issues. These include decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and testicular size or shape changes. One should speak to their doctor when experiencing any of these symptoms. Early consultation will help the doctor diagnose the issue and provide the best treatment.
What causes male fertility issues?
Several factors may impact a man's fertility. There can be physical, psychological, lifestyle, and medical issues which may impact a man's fertility.
Physical factors like genetic defects, health conditions, and injuries can impact a man's fertility. Psychological factors like stress, anxiety, and depression can also cause problems.
Male fertility decline is also linked with lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, drug use, and exposure to certain environmental toxins. For example, men who smoke cigarettes are likelier to have lower sperm counts than those who do not.
In some cases, medical conditions such as varicocele, undescended testicles, or genetic disorders may cause male infertility.
It is important to remember that a single issue does not necessarily cause male infertility. In many cases, a combination of factors can impact a man’s ability to father a child.
If a man is concerned about his fertility, he needs to talk to a doctor who can identify the cause of his fertility issues and recommend treatment options.
When should one see a doctor?
A man should consult a doctor if he has been experiencing symptoms or when his partner cannot conceive. While many fertility issues are beyond control, some medical conditions can cause male fertility issues.
If a man is experiencing any of the following issues, then they should seek medical consultation:
- Testicular or prostate cancer
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Undescended testicles
- Genetic disorders
- Trauma to the testicles
- Testosterone replacement therapy, cancer treatment
- Obesity
Apart from these, if he consumes alcohol, is addicted to drugs, has been on certain medications or smokes, he should see a doctor for consultation.
Early diagnosis and treatment are important for preserving one's fertility. Call 1860-500-4424 for an appointment at Apollo Fertility, Brookefield, Bengaluru, for a consultation with experts.
What are the treatment options?
Male fertility is a complex issue with many potential causes. As such, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for treating male fertility issues. However, there are a few treatment options available that can help improve fertility in men.
Some common treatment options for male fertility include:
- Surgery: A doctor can conduct surgery to correct anatomical issues that impact fertility or to remove blockages that prevent the sperm from reaching the eggs. Varicocele is treatable by surgery. A doctor can also undo an early vasectomy. The doctor can also frequently extract a man's sperm from the testicles or epididymis using one of the sperm retrieval procedures if there is a problem in sperm ejaculation.
- Infection treatment: While antibiotics may effectively treat reproductive system infections, one cannot always retrieve fertility.
- Treatments: A doctor can treat early ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual dysfunctions. Medication or counselling can also help to improve fertility. Medication and counselling are suggested when infertility is caused by low or high hormone levels, how the hormones are used by the body or both.
- Technology for assisted reproduction (ART) The doctor may use ART to collect sperm through surgery or involve a donor.
Yes, the reasons male infertility is reversible with adopting the right lifestyle and taking the corrective medical treatment.
Male fertility falls throughout adulthood, but researchers believe that a man's age doesn't start to affect his fertility significantly until he is in his 40s.
In general, men's fertility starts to fall from 35 onwards. Hence they remain at the peak of fertility before turning 35.
Several factors, like alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse, certain medications, long-term anabolic steroids, cancer treatments, a few antibiotics and antidepressants, or testosterone replacement therapy etc., apart from obesity, can affect sperm count.
The sperm motility and volume of semen and sperm count in a single ejaculate are indicators of whether sperm is healthy or not. It should be 15 million sperm cells per millilitre.
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