Male infertility is a common problem, more common than you think. Almost one-third of couples have issues bearing children due to male infertility. Public health experts believe that male infertility is only getting worse. In the last 40 years, male infertility has increased. Sperm count has dropped an estimated 50 percent. It is believed that obesity and a lazy lifestyle contribute to this continuing problem. Although the reasons behind low sperm counts is hard to determine, these two reasons are the most probable. Here are a few things that can combat low sperm counts.
There are many things that make your sperm healthy, and sperm count is only one of them. Sperm is healthy when there are large quantities. You should have over 16 million sperm per milliliter to have a regular sperm count. The movement of your sperm is another big factor. This plays into how well your sperm can implant an egg. The shape of your sperm is also important, along with size. Here are some scientifically backed ways to help you increase your sperm count, and help these other factors.
1. Eat Good Food
Eating the right food is important for your sperm. You should eat your fruits and veggies because the antioxidants that they contain can be very beneficial to your sperm health. Stress can affect your sperm, and having enough antioxidants in your diet can help to combat the hormones that are produced from stress. You should eat a few servings of antioxidant rich foods a day. You can add fruit to your breakfast, choose it as a snack, or have it as a side dish with a meal. You should also get plenty of vitamin E. Vitamin E can help your sperm shape. You can find vitamin E in many foods.
2. Limit the Amount of Alcohol You Drink
Alcohol can be very hard on your sperm. If you are drinking more than 10 drinks a week, you could be affecting your sperm count. Alcohol is directly toxic to your body and your sexual health. Excessive drinking affects your pituitary glands, can decrease libido, and cause erectile dysfunction. Alcohol is hard on your body to begin with, so why drink so much that your sperm count is affected? If you are trying to boost your sperm levels, stick to about five drinks a week.
3. You Need to Stay at a Healthy Weight
If you are overweight, or even obese, you are more likely to have low sperm counts. Especially compared to men who are at a healthy weight range, who generally have regular sperm counts. If you want to lose weight, and keep a healthy sperm count, you will need to exercise regularly.
4. Hot Tubs are not Great
The high temperature of hot tubs can affect your sperm count. When the temperature of our testicles raises, the amount of sperm produced is reduced. It not only affects the amount, but it can also affect movement. High temperatures can decrease the speed and motility of your sperm. This is especially important if you are trying to conceive, as your sperm needs to be as mobile as possible to reach the egg.
5. Tighty Whities are a no go
Tight underwear and pants can affect your sperm count. Your testicles can also overheat, like with a hot tub, while in tight underwear or pants. It has the same effects as a hot tub, plus it is restricting and can cause other problems with your testicular health. If you wear this type of underwear, you should switch over to boxers for your overall testicular health.
There are also some drugs that can affect your sperm count. You may want avoid the following drugs, both recreational and illegal, if you want to have children soon, or have a healthy sex life.
1. Ibuprofen Pill
These pills, although they are good for aches and pains, may not be very good for your sperm health. Studies have shown that within two weeks of taking ibuprofen pills regularly, it resulted in a drop in testosterone hormones. When these hormone levels are low in the body it can result in depression and erectile dysfunction. This effect is completely reversible if you stop taking ibuprofen pills. These are not long term effects, rather, they only happen when you are taking the pills on a regular basis, i.e. daily for knee pain.
2. Cigarettes
Long term smokers tend to have lower sperm counts. Smoking not only affects your breathing and other aspects of your health, but it affects your sexual health. Cigarettes are directly toxic to your sperm count. Cigarettes can also lead to erectile dysfunction. Since they affect your cardiovascular system, your sexual health suffers alongside it.
3. Marijuana
Studies have shown marijuana is directly toxic to your sperm count. As with smoking, heavy marijuana use can affect your cardiovascular system. You need a solid blood flow to achieve high sperm counts and your cardiovascular system is directly responsible for this. When your cardiovascular system is not working at 100 percent, your sexual health tends to suffer.
4. Opiates
Heavy drug use can affect multiple areas of your body. Opiates affect your pituitary glands, a major part of your sexual health system. This can lower sperm count. You can also experience decreased libido when you use opiates. Decreased libido generally results in low sperm counts.
5. Cocaine
Cocaine is directly toxic to your body. It is toxic to not only your sexual health, but your overall health. Cocaine use can result in erectile dysfunction. When a man suffers from erectile dysfunction, he also suffers from low sperm count and low libido. Cocaine is a dangerous drug, especially since it is very often tampered with. You are not only risking your sexual health by doing cocaine, but you are also risking your life.
If you are experiencing what you think is male infertility, contact your doctor immediately. Your doctor will be able to help you come up with solutions to this problem.
