It needs to be stated in this context that
male infertility is a rather complex problem. If you want to make your partner
pregnant there are a few conditions that have to be fulfilled. You must be able
to produce healthy sperm. The sperm should get carried to the semen. The semen
should have sufficient amounts of sperm. The sperm should be functional and it
should be able to move as well.
The causes of male infertility can be broadly
divided into 3 major categories – medical causes, environmental causes, and
lifestyle and health-related causes. Following are the main medical causes:
·
Varicocele
·
infection
·
issues
with ejaculation
·
sperm
being attacked by antibodies
·
tumors
·
testicles
that have not descended properly
·
imbalance
in hormones
·
defects
in tubules that transport sperm
·
defects
in chromosome
·
issues
with sexual intercourse
·
Celiac
disease
· Certain
medicines such as testosterone replacement therapy
·
earlier
surgeries
The major environmental reasons in this case
can be enumerated as below:
·
industrial
chemicals
·
exposure
to heavy metals
·
x
rays and other kinds of radiation
·
overheating
of testicles
There are certainly other causes related to the
likes of health and lifestyle that could cause such issues as well.
Symptoms
The main sign of male infertility is that you
are unable to produce a child. At times, there could be no other obvious signs
as such. In some cases, it is seen that the patient may have inherited the
disorder. It could also happen because of lack of balance in your hormones. The
veins around your testicles could be dilated as well. You may also be suffering
from a condition where the passage of sperms is blocked. In short, there are
many causes that could lead to these signs and symptoms.
There are some tell-tale signs that you could
be suffering from male infertility. They may be enumerated as below:
- issues
with your sexual function
- gynecomastia
or abnormal growth of chests
- pain,
swelling, or lump in your testicular area
- decreased
body and facial hair as well as other signs that your hormones and chromosomes
are not in the right order
- recurrent
infections in the respiratory system
- sub
normal sperm count
- inability
to smell
If you experience any of these issues it would
always be better to see a doctor.
Treatment
options
Quite often it has been seen that it is a bit
tough to identify the exact cause of infertility. However, even if there is no
clarity regarding the exact cause of your infertility your doctor would be able
to recommend procedures and treatments which would lead to conception. In such instances,
it is but normal for your partner to undergo checking as well. This helps find
out if she would need any specific treatment as such or not. This will also
assist the doctors in determining if you need to be treated by the likes of
assisted reproductive technology or not.
There are several options that you have with
respect to the treatment of male infertility. They may be mentioned as below:
- surgery
- treatment
of infections
- treatment
for problems of sexual intercourse
- hormone
medicines and treatments
- assisted
reproductive technology
There are some rare cases where male
infertility cannot be treated. In these situations, you would not be able to
father a child, at least biologically. In such cases your doctor may advise you
to use sperm from another donor. She or he may ask you to adopt a child as
well.
How
to treat it naturally?
There are some things that you can try to
treat your infertility problem in a natural way. They may be enumerated as
below:
- working
out and getting enough sleep
- reducing
stress
- stopping
smoking
- avoid
too much drugs and alcohol
- avoiding
some prescription medicines
- consuming
supplements such as fenugreek
- getting
sufficient calcium and vitamin D
- consuming
Ashwagandha
- eating
more healthy fat
- reducing
unhealthy fat
- limiting
or avoiding exposure to occupational and environmental contaminants and toxins
- avoiding
foods and soy that contain non-human estrogen
- getting
sufficient zinc and folate
There are also some other steps that you could
take in this regard. You could try some home remedies and make changes to your
lifestyle as well. Try and increase the frequency at which you have sex. Try to
have sex when it is possible to fertilize her. Never use lubricants and the
like. There are some alternative medicines that you could try out in this
regard as well. They may be mentioned as below:
- black
seed or nigella sativa
- L-carnitine
- Coenzyme
Q10
- Panax
ginseng
- Folic
acid
- Zinc
- horse
chestnut or aescin
Before you use such alternative medicines in
order to get rid of your sterility you need to know a few things. There is not
much evidence of how well these medicines can help you become a father. This is
inclusive of both supplements and herbs that are used in these cases. None of
these supplements are capable of treating any basic cause of infertility as
such. This includes the likes of chromosomal disorders and defects in your
sperm duct. Some of these supplements can only help you deal with cases of
deficiency only. However, the ones that have been quoted above have been proven
to be successful in studies.
Diet
plan
There are certain foods that help improve your
sperm count and thus address your problem of infertility. They may be
enumerated as below:
- walnuts
- bananas
- citrus
fruits
- broccoli
- whole
wheat and grains
- ginseng
- most
fish, especially wild salmon, cod, and haddock
- turmeric
- most
shellfish, especially oysters
- asparagus
- vitamin
D enhanced milk and milk products
- most
leafy greens, especially spinach and kale
- dark
chocolate
- fermented
nuts and seeds
- garlic
So, now it can be expected that you have a a fair idea of how to deal with the problem of male infertility.
