Low Sperm Count: Why Does It Happen And How To Treat It?
Partners often try to have children by boosting their sperm count which increases the chance of getting pregnant.
A healthy and sufficient sperm count is a vital factor for fertility and pregnancy.
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What Is Low Sperm Count?
The scientific term for a low sperm count is known as oligozoospermia.
As per the research, oligozoospermia is detected in a person when he produces less than 15 million per milliliter of sperm.
Being pregnant has a lot of factors involved but a low sperm count makes it harder for a woman to conceive and get pregnant.
Low Sperm Count Signs
When you’re in the mind frame of making a family and having kids, then you might not be able to notice any signs or symptoms of low sperm count or even low sperm quality.
However, infertility is one of the most common symptoms of low sperm count.
Low sperm count can be a result of unknown and underlying illnesses.
Such illnesses might include an imbalance of hormones, testicular trouble, or obstruction.
In this case, you might suffer from symptoms that are very different from symptoms of a low sperm count.
These signs and symptoms could include:
- swelling or pain in or around the testicle
- low sex drive
- less facial or body hair
- erectile dysfunction
What Causes Low Sperm Count?
Numerous factors contribute to poor sperm quality and low sperm count. This generally is classified into three categories.
They are:
Medical
If you have a history of symptoms related to testicles or injury or any kind of surgery, then you might suffer from low sperm count.
Low sperm count can also be a result of genetic disorders such as the Klinefelter syndrome.
There are even many therapies that hamper and damage the hormonal sperm production and sperm count of an individual.
Such therapies include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation as well.
Environmental
The testicles of a man are located outside of the abdominal cavity.
This has been because sperm conditions to be optimum need to be somewhat lower than the body temperature of a human being.
Overheating of testicles can cause low sperm production and count.
This means that anything from frequent use of hot baths to sitting with your computer on your lap could reduce your count.
Lifestyle
Substance abuse such as drug use or alcohol consumption can heavily impact the production of sperm in a human body.
Usage of tobacco or vaping can have the same harmful impact.
Even products like marijuana and painkillers might have a harmful impact resulting in low sperm count.
Low Sperm Count Treatment
In today’s world and advanced technology, many options have been made available for treatment if you or your partner are suffering from low sperm count or production leading to infertility.
Here are a few things to understand:
Don’t Give Up
Initially, your doctor may advise that you try to conceive naturally for a while longer.
Within the second year of trying, many couples become pregnant.
You can improve your chances of getting pregnant by doing the following:
- maintaining the physical intimacy every 2-3 days
- reduction in smoke and alcohol consumption might have positive impacts
- leading a healthy and happy lifestyle with a good diet and regular physical activity is also a good way to increase sperm count.
IVF
In vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, is a very good option if you have been dealing with low sperm count and are unable to conceive for two years.
IVF involves removing an egg from a woman’s ovaries and fertilizing it with sperm in a laboratory.
After fertilization, the fertilized egg is returned to the woman’s womb to develop and expand.
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)
If you’ve been trying to conceive naturally with your spouse for at least two years and have either little or no sperm, or poor quality sperm, you might opt for the ICSI option for conceiving.
It has been an effective and proven treatment option for partners trying to conceive and have a baby.
Insemination By A Donor
Using sperm provided by another man is known as donor insemination.
If you have a genetic disease that could be passed down to your offspring, you might want to try donor insemination as an alternative to ICSI.
It can be used in conjunction with IVF if necessary.
How To Check Low Sperm Count At Home?
If you want to check your low sperm count frequently and in the comfort of your home.
Then there are several male fertility home-test kits available for purchase in pharmacies nowadays.
According to sources, these kits claim to tell you whether your sperm count is in the normal range or a low range.
Does Low Testosterone Mean Low Sperm Count?
Low sperm count is not caused as a result of a lack of testosterone.
Hormones, other than the testosterone hormone, are a contributing factor in increasing sperm count and production.
Although testosterone is essential for sperm production, its concentration in the testes, where sperm are created, is several times higher than in the blood.
Therefore, it might have an impact on the sperm count but again this is not necessary, according to the study.
Testosterone levels may be sufficient for sperm production even in males with low or borderline testosterone levels.
Conclusion
Sometimes you might feel like giving up and feel like nothing will bring a positive effect out of the ongoing situation.
However, the main thing to focus on during such tough times is to not give up on hope.
Factors such as your diet and your level of physical activity play a very important role in the production of a sperm count.
If you decide to change your present lifestyle and even your surroundings as well, you and your partner will see positive results that you have been anticipating for a very long time.
Couples need to understand that even with a low sperm count they can conceive.
It might indeed take a longer time than other couples and the comparison might feel demotivating.
But you may need to consult a doctor at such a time to treat your problem and understand how to increase your low sperm count and quality of your sperm.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to a doctor if you feel you might be suffering from a problem.
- This article has been written for informational purposes only.
- None of the above statements have been evaluated by any FDA authority.
- We do not intend on providing any medical cure, help, or treatment.
- We recommend you consult your health expert in case of emergency or before consuming any product.