Lifestyle choices can lower sperm numbers. Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking certain medications can lower sperm numbers. Other causes of
Causes of male infertility
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.
A trained expert checks your sperm count, their shape, movement, and other characteristics. In general, if you have a higher number of normal-shaped sperm, it means you have higher fertility. But there are plenty of exceptions to this. A lot of guys with low sperm counts or abnormal semen are still fertile.
Some studies suggest that moderate ejaculation (2–4 times per week) is associated with a lower prostate cancer risk. However, ejaculating more often doesn't mean your cancer risk drops even more.
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.
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).
Signs and symptoms you may notice include: Problems with sexual function — for example, difficulty with ejaculation or small volumes of fluid ejaculated, reduced sexual desire, or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Recurrent respiratory infections.
Men start losing their fertility at age 40.
In a study of more than 1,900 couples, irrespective of the woman's age, IVF attempts involving men 40 or older failed 70 percent more often than IVF attempts involving men younger than 30. Previous theory: Older men produce fewer kids because they get less sex.
You may be able to reverse the condition if the cause is something you can stop, like taking certain medications or keeping your testicles too warm. You may not be able to change some causes of low sperm count, such as one that happens as a result of genetic issues.
The concentration of sperm is what makes the semen cloudy and thick, so if your ejaculate is watery it is possible that you have a low sperm count. This doesn't mean you're infertile (so precautions to prevent pregnancy still need to be taken for couples that don't want to get pregnant).
Roughly 15 percent of couples in the United States have trouble conceiving, and over 50 percent of the time, there is a male infertility issue.
The main reason fertility decreases with age is because the quality of a woman's eggs declines as she gets older. And, as women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, older women have fewer eggs. The natural aging process also means higher chances of miscarriage and having a child with a genetic condition.
Very strong smell: Bacteria and other germs can change the way semen smells. If semen has a foul and overpowering odor or gets worse with time, it may be a sign of an infection or sexually transmitted disease. Sweet smell: Normal semen can smell slightly sweet because of the fructose it contains.
Pretesticular azoospermia: Your testicles are normal, but your body can't get them to make sperm. It might happen because of low hormone levels or after you've had chemotherapy. This type is pretty rare. Testicular azoospermia: Damage to your testicles keeps them from making sperm normally.
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.
Because of modern technology, 90% of all infertile males have the potential to conceive their own genetic child. There are treatments for the causes of infertility, lifestyle changes you can make to prevent infertility and there are surgeries and procedures to try.
There's no maximum age that stops a man from being able to have a baby. You can become a father long into your older years, but there are risks.
Although advanced age plays a much more important role in predicting female infertility, couples in which the male partner is 40 years old or older are more likely to report difficulty conceiving. Being overweight or obese. Smoking. Excessive alcohol and drug use (opioids, marijuana).
Clear semen may result in case of frequent ejaculation and may indicate low sperm count. White semen indicates less frequent ejaculations and is a thick and cloudy fluid. The viscosity and sperm count of white semen are also significantly higher.