A low sperm count is diagnosed as part of a semen analysis test. Sperm count is generally determined by examining semen under a microscope to see how many sperm appear within squares on a grid pattern. In some cases, a computer might be used to measure sperm count.
Some at-home tests also check how well sperm can move. For a home sperm test, you collect a semen sample by ejaculating into a small cup. A home sperm test may be appealing because you can do it in the privacy of your own home. Results are often ready within a few minutes.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking certain medications can lower sperm numbers. Other causes of low sperm numbers include long-term sickness (such as kidney failure), childhood infections (such as mumps), and chromosome or hormone problems (such as low testosterone).
Causes of male infertility
These may include: Abnormal sperm production or function due to undescended testicles, genetic defects, health problems such as diabetes, or infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps or HIV. Enlarged veins in the testes (varicocele) also can affect the quality of sperm.
It only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg, and men with low sperm count can still conceive as their bodies are technically producing sperm. However, because there is less sperm per milliliter of semen, there might be a lower chance each cycle for men with a low sperm count than for men with a normal sperm count.
IVF with ICSI is often the best treatment option for men with low sperm count. Hormonal treatment: If a male patient has low levels of the pituitary hormones that stimulate sperm production, we may attempt hormonal treatment before considering more invasive options (such as IVF with ICSI).
Use of cocaine or marijuana may temporarily reduce the number and quality of your sperm as well. Alcohol use. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems.
Frequent male masturbation isn't likely to have much effect on your fertility. Some data shows that optimum semen quality occurs after two to three days of no ejaculation. But other research suggests that men who have normal sperm quality maintain normal sperm motility and concentrations even with daily ejaculation.
There is no specific frequency with which a man should ejaculate. There is no solid evidence that failure to ejaculate causes health problems. However, ejaculating frequently can reduce the man's risk of getting prostate cancer. Ejacu-lation can be through having sex or masturbating a few times a day.
Bottom line: Men generally see a decrease in fertility beginning at 35, and the decline progresses from there. The age men are most fertile may be between 30 and 35, but we haven't yet determined a specific window of peak fertility.
Fertility is most likely if the semen discharged in a single ejaculation (ejaculate) contains at least 15 million sperm per milliliter. Too little sperm in an ejaculation might make it more difficult to get pregnant because there are fewer candidates available to fertilize the egg.
Male fertility generally starts to reduce around age 40 to 45 years when sperm quality decreases. Increasing male age reduces the overall chances of pregnancy and increases time to pregnancy (the number of menstrual cycles it takes to become pregnant) and the risk of miscarriage and fetal death.
A study of 250 men who had sperm analyzed at a fertility clinic showed that men who ate higher amounts of fruits and veggies, particularly green leafy vegetables and beans (legumes), had higher sperm concentrations and better sperm motility compared to men who ate less of these foods.
Yes, low sperm count is curable.
A man might have watery semen if he doesn't get enough zinc in his diet. Zinc is an important nutrient for sperm production. Men who ejaculate several times a day might also develop watery semen, since the body needs time to “catch up” on its semen production.
You produce sperm every day, but a full sperm regeneration cycle (spermatogenesis) takes about 64 days. Spermatogenesis is the complete cycle of sperm production and maturation.
For healthy semen samples collected between 5:00am and 7:30am were found to exhibit a statistically higher sperm concentration, total sperm count and a higher percentage of normally shaped sperm, compared to samples produced later in the day.
For men with normal sperm counts, studies find that semen volume and sperm count/concentration increase after two days of abstinence. However, sperm quality—the motility (movement) and morphology (shape) of sperm—decrease after two days of abstinence, with a significant impact seen after 7–10 days.
Because of this technique, 90% of all infertile males have the potential to conceive their own genetic child. In vitro fertilization: For some couples dealing with male infertility, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the treatment of choice.
Effects of alcohol on male reproduction
Alcohol consumption in men can also cause difficulties with fertility. Some studies on long-term, heavy alcohol use have reported reduced gonadotropin release, testicular atrophy, and decreased testosterone and sperm production [48].