ften termed as Oligospermia, low sperm meaning, a condition in men where the sperm count, morphology and motility is lesser than the normal count.
Sperm count in men lower than 40 million sperm per millilitre of semen is considered lower than the normal. This is the sperm count normal range. Having a low sperm count in men means there are lesser chances of you getting your partner pregnant, but in most men who have a low sperm count manage to become fathers if their partners are no having any infertility related issues.
Certain symptoms that patients with low sperm count exhibit are:
- Patients have difficulties maintaining an erection and this is called erectile dysfunctioning
- Some may experience low sex drive
- Lump formation in the testicle region
- Less body hair and facial hair
Hence it is important to not neglect these symptoms and consult a doctor or a clinic like ours. We at Kiran Infertility Centre (KIC), Bangalore utilize sophisticated technology to serve you better
Low Sperm Count Causes
Sperms are produced by co-ordination between testicles and well as the sub organs in the brain which have pituitary glands and hypothalamus that produce hormones. These sperms after being produced by testicles use semen as a vehicle to be ejaculated out of the penis. If any of these organs do not coordinate then there could be problems relating to sperm production.
Low sperm count in man can be caused by number of problems some of them are:
- Varicocele: This is a type of condition which causes swelling of the veins that surround the testicle. They reduce the quality of the sperm.
- Infection: Certain types of infections can cause the blockage of the sperm by restriction sperm production
- Ejaculation problems: This type of ejaculation occurs when the semen takes a different path like the bladder during sexual intercourse instead of coming out of the tip of the penis
- Antibodies that attack sperm: Sometimes the body mistakes sperms as a harmful substance and tries to defend the body by attacking them, they are called anti-sperm antibodies
- Tumours: Diseases like cancers and non-cancerous tumours do affect the male reproductive organs directly.
- Medications of certain types: Cancer medications, anti-fungal medications and anti-biotic medications decrease male fertility
- Hormone imbalances: Imbalance in certain hormones can impair sperm production
Certain environmental elements affect sperm production due to overexposure to these elements.
These include:
- Chemicals from industries: Materials like pesticides, benzenes, xylene from the industries can cause low sperm counts.
- Exposure to heavy metals: Exposing the body to heavy metals like lead can cause infertility
- Radiation: Exposure to radiation takes years for sperm production to recover to its normal functioning.
- Due to Overheating of testicles: High temperatures may disrupt the normal functioning of sperm production, especially for working-class men who sit for long periods of time wearing tight apparels in front of a laptop or computer.
Health and lifestyle may also be accountable for sperm count decreasing. Some of these causes are:
- Usage of Drugs: Administering cocaine and marijuana may decrease the sperm count and the quality of your sperm
- Alcohol Consumption: This can also be the cause of lowering testosterone and decreased sperm count
- Profession: Certain types of jobs require extended periods of truck driving and sitting. This can cause heat to be built in the scrotum and may decrease the sperm count
- Smoking Tobacco: Smoking tobacco can significantly decrease the sperm count than the men who don’t smoke.
- Stress: Stress can cause interference with hormones which are essential for sperm production.
- Depression: Depression can cause adverse effects on sperm concentration.
- Overweight: This may cause hormonal changes which may severely impact sperm production
How to prevent low sperm count ?
To prevent low sperm count, make sure you follow these guidelines.
- Avoid smoking
- Avoid or lower alcohol consumption.
- Stay away from drugs
- Avoid medications that may affect sperm count and consult your doctor on the same
- Maintain your weight as obesity can cause lower sperm count.
- Avoid exposure to high-temperature environments
- Take classes on stress management
- Avoid exposure to chemicals that are harmful.
Low Sperm Count Treatment
Certain treatments that can be considered for low sperm count are:
- Surgery: The condition known as Varicocele can be surgically corrected. Vasectomy can also be reversed and there are several techniques for sperm retrieval which can be directly retrieved from testicles.
- Administering Medications: Medication can help to a certain extent in treating erectile dysfunctioning and premature ejaculation
- Hormone treatment: Men can possibly have infertility because of an imbalance in hormone level, so doctors may give you certain medications for this case.
- Assisted reproductive technology (ART): Sperms are obtained from through ejaculation or from donors or through a surgical procedure and then used for IVF or Intracytoplasmic injections.
So if you have an underlying issue that needs to be treated for fertility consult our doctors at Kiran Infertility Centre (KIC), Bangalore. We have an outstanding pregnancy success track-record which consistently rates best in the world.
Sperm Count Test
Sperm count test also called as semen analysis, gives you an analysis of the fluid semen containing the sperm which gets released once the man orgasms.3 factors are taken into consideration for a healthy sperm.
- The count of the sperm
- The sperm shape
- The motion of the sperm also known as sperm count motility
Food to boost sperm count
Sperm count improvement foods include:
- Walnuts: These nuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids that are required for the development of a sperm and its function.
- Citrus fruits: These type of fruits, for example, orange, lemons and kiwis help the sperm function adequately and prevent them from accumulating together
- Whole wheat and grains: Whole grains prevent the body from becoming obese. They have fibrous and anti-oxidant properties along with vitamin B12 and vitamin B9
- Most fish, especially wild salmon, cod, and haddock: Omega 3 fatty acids and DHA improve sperm production by increasing blood flow to his male sexual organ.
- Most shellfish, especially oysters: Shellfish mainly contain zinc content which helps in an erection for men.
- Vitamin D enhanced milk and milk products: Vitamin D boost sperm movement in the testicles.
- Dark chocolate: This food substance has anti-oxidant properties which increase men’s fertility
- Bananas: These fruits contain a set of vitamins like A, B1 and C that helps boosts sperm production.
- Asparagus: This is one of the green vegetables that defend the testicles from molecules that damage the cells in the body.
- Most leafy greens, especially spinach and kale: Leafy vegetables contain folic acid which prevents the men from getting sperm abnormalities.
- Fermented nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds contain selenium that boosts the sperm motility and increases its count