When it comes to infertility not all blame can be placed on the female. In fact 33-40% of infertility cases are on the male end of the relationship. Low sperm count is one of many factors that can cause problems in men worldwide. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
What is low sperm count? It is quite simple actually; it is when the fluid, the semen, is not as full of sperm as it should be. The average sperm count is between 20 and 40 million per milliliter. Anything under 20 million per milliliter is considered low.
There are only a handful of symptoms that go along with low sperm count. If you have any of these symptoms you should seek medical attention.
-inability or problems conceiving a child
-low libido (sex drive)
-painful lump in the scrotum area
-less hair on face or body
Low sperm count can be caused by a number of factors. Below is a brief list of those factors as well as a brief description of the factor.
-Varicocele: this is an inflamed vein area that drains the testes.
-infection: this is a common occurrence that can cause low sperm count.
-ejaculation problems: some cases the semen enters the bladder rather than the penis.
-antibodies: typically this can help keep you from being sick. But can attack the sperm.
-tumors: these can be cancerous or benign but can still cause issues.
-undescended testes: this happens in the womb and can cause problems later in life.
-industrial chemicals: long term exposure may cause severe problems with infertility.
-heavy metal exposure: such as lead exposure.
-radiation: such as x-rays or chemotherapy.
-overheating testicles: specific types of underwear may cause this.
-illegal drug use: steroids can cause the scrotum to shrink and sperm to stop producing.
-alcohol consumption: alcohol can reduce testosterone and sperm levels
-emotional stress: much as in the females, stress affects fertility.
-weight: being overweight may throw off hormone levels
There are tests that can be run in order to determine if you have low sperm count. Speak with your doctor about these tests. He or she can determine which would be better for you. A semen analysis is a standard procedure to test the number of spermatozoa in a milliliter of seminal fluid. To perform a semen analysis, you are asked to ejaculate in a cup in a controlled environment. It is then taken to a lab where it is evaluated and the sperm is counted, checked for shape and speed.
Luckily there are treatments that can be provided for this condition. These include surgery as well as treatment of the underlying infection with antibiotics or other medication, if this is indeed the cause.
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is when sperm is taken from normal ejaculation and then the best of the sperm is then injected into the female uterus for fertilization. So if you are suffering from low sperm count, this may be a viable fertility treatment to boost your chances of getting pregnant.
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