Male infertility? Take a peek into the reasons

Trying hard for a baby but greeted by disappointment every time? Medical research confirms that it may be the girl or the boy who is responsible for fertility. Let’s peer through the reasons for infertility in males and we will deal with the reasons for female infertility in this space soon.

It’s an uphill ride for some unfortunate people as they can”t achieve pregnancy easily and may be actually infertile but involuntarily. Half of the couples trying to get pregnant, maybe infertile, because the males refuse to take medical advice. Don’t hesitate to visit a clinic as you may be one of the lucky ones who can avail the various treatment options available for infertility. Read on for more:

The impossible situation

Male infertility maybe due to a physical, psychological or a hormonal disturbance in the body. If the infertility is because of some damage to the testicles or the injury has resulted in the testicles unable to produce sperms then one gets cornered into a helpless situation and there is not much that can be done. But there is hope because mostly the reason for male infertility is poor sperm quality and low sperm production.

General health

Health always takes a first call. “Fertility” is an announcement of good health and men who follow a very healthy standard of living mostly generate healthy sperms. There are a few things that influence the male fertility negatively.

Alcohol, drugs and smoking

One of the main things that affect the fertility in males is the habit of smoking and alcohol. Dependency on tobacco and alcohol decreases the motility of the sperms and also decreases the sperm count.

Another major reason for male infertility is a regular use of recreational drugs and cannabis or marijuana.

Anabolic steroids and testosterone

Budding athletes often start to take anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids are known to cause infertility and characteristically cause shrinkage of the testis. People who take up athletics have to exercise strenuously and intense exercise schedules increase the production of adrenal steroid hormones in the body. This increase in the adrenal hormones leads to a deficiency of the male hormone testosterone, which is responsible for fertility in males.

Environmental conditions

An over exposure to radioactive materials, paint, heavy metals, radiation, pesticides, lead, boron, and benzene can be detrimental to the fertility in the males. These end up as environmental and occupational hazards for the males .

Other factors like an injury or wearing tight underwear for a long time can also effect the fertility in males. Tight clothing leads to a temperature increase in the scrotal areas. This increase in the temperature leads to a fall in the production of sperms.

Lack of clean, hygienic and healthy food causes anemia and malnutrition. A compromised diet also results in lack of adequate amounts of Zinc and Vitamin C that is a must for healthy fertility.

Hormonal and psychological problems

A mess-up in the proper working of the hypothalamus-pituitary endocrine system results in the lack of proper production of the gonadotrophic-releasing hormone (GnRH) that is a must for the testosterone hormone and sperm release. Sometimes the male bodies produce some other hormones that influence the proper balance of the sex hormones.

A hormonal imbalance in the production of the pituitary gland also affects the fertility in the males. And most important is to keep stress at arms distance!

Edited by Neelam Goswami on 28-02-2014.