Why Is My Sperm Count Low?
So, you've been told that you have a low sperm count and that this may be the cause of you and your partner's infertility. This news is often quite a blow to the male ego. Although low sperm count and virility obviously have nothing in common - these two are certainly tied in the minds of most men. Having the facts and understanding the origins of low sperm count will certainly help to allay fears and to clarify facts.
Factors You Can't Foresee
There are many factors that are not at all in your control that can lead to low sperm count. Age and sperm count are, according to many researchers, thought to be related. If you're younger than 39, fertility rates are thought to be about 60% for you; those rates fall to slightly over 50% for those over this age bracket. Your genetic background can also influence your sperm count. If you have Cystic Fibrosis, Klinefelter Syndrome or Kartagener Syndrome, you could have a low sperm count as a result. Should you have any of these genetic issues, you should speak to your doctor to get advice and to see how to deal with the potential low sperm count side effect.
Factors You Can Try to Control
While there are certain low sperm count factors that you can't foresee or control, there are others that are in your power to change. If you have a great deal of physical or emotional stress in your life, these can inhibit your sperm count. Relationship problems, impotence and ejaculation issues can also create a lower than usual sperm count and infertility. If you've been in very hot conditions for continued periods of time, this can actually inhibit your sperm count. This would include if you've had a very high fever, or if you frequent saunas, hot Jacuzzis and similar locations. Keeping your laptop on your lap too often can also create a sperm problem. If you have a problem with cocaine, marijuana or alcohol, these can also hurt your sperm. Cocaine and marijuana can reduce your sperm numbers and quantity by as much as 50%!
More Sperm Items You Can Change
Certainly, along with marijuana and cocaine, cigarette smoking is incredibly detrimental to sperm. Cigarettes hurt sperm count, motility, lifespan and more. They can also cause genetic changes in the baby, should your partner finally become pregnant. While you might know about these dangers with smoking, there is one other factor that you may not be aware of. It is of interest to note that a few studies have pinpointed that smoking may actually decrease your sex drive and that smokers have less frequent sex than do nonsmokers. This, of course, can lead to less chance to try to get pregnant, and a perceived infertility. Your diet may also be preventing your sperm from performing in a healthy way. If you have low vitamin C, selenium, zinc, or folate levels, you may be putting yourself at a higher risk for sperm issues. You should eat well, while trying to conceive, and meet with a nutritionist if you think that this might be an issue for you. Obesity, as well, has often been tied to low sperm count.
What People Often Don't Consider
There are a few low sperm count factors that people forget to discuss. One of these is avid bike riding! Avid bike riders put pressure on this area of the body and may damage blood vessels and nerves that are needed for ejaculation. Mountain biking, in particular, may harm sperm if you are an avid rider. If your work environment has exposed you to environmental toxins or chemicals, this can also impact your sperm.
Certainly, in life, some things are in our control and others are beyond our reach. Knowing which low sperm count factors you can control may help you to manage your problems; understanding that there are some issues beyond your control should take the burden off of you and help you to seek the assistance that you might need to conceive.
