Signs Men May Not Fertile

Medical Video: What causes infertility in men and what treatments are out there?

What is needed to get pregnant is the ovum (egg) of women and sperm from men. Male sperm must have good quantity and quality to be able to approach and fertilize a woman's ovum. If a man has a small sperm count or poor sperm quality, it is difficult to achieve pregnancy.

Infertility in men can be caused by congenital abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, dilated blood vessels around the testicles, or various conditions that block the passage of sperm to get to the ovum.

Some lifestyle factors can also affect male fertility, such as too much exercise, stress, obesity, smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, drug use, exposure to poisons and environmental hazards, and hot temperatures in the testicles which can reduce sperm production.

The main sign of infertile men is when he is unable to produce children. However, there are still other signs.

Signs of men experiencing fertility problems

Some men do not know that they are experiencing fertility problems until they realize that they are difficult to have children. Lifestyle factors or various physical conditions can make a man infertile.

Signs of men experiencing fertility problems include:

Having problems with sexual function. For example: difficult to achieve ejaculation, a small volume of sperm fluid, lack of desire to have sex, or difficulty maintaining an erection.
Pain, swelling, or a lump around the testicles.
Recurrent respiratory infections.
Inability to smell.
Abnormal breast growth (gynecomastia).
Decreased number of facial hair or hair on the body, or other signs of hormonal abnormalities or chromosomes.
Having a sperm count that is less than the normal sperm count (less than 15 million sperm per millimeter of semen (a liquid containing sperm) or a total sperm count of less than 39 million per ejaculation).

To find out infertility in men may be difficult with just being seen. The number of sperm during ejaculation generally looks normal, so that it is difficult for men to know whether they have fertility problems or not by just seeing sperm fluid. Therefore, you should see a doctor to find out for sure whether you have fertility problems or not. The doctor will do an analysis of your sperm to determine the quantity and quality of your sperm.

Trying to get pregnant with men who have fertility problems

If you are a man who has fertility problems, don't worry, because you can still improve the quantity and quality of your sperm to fertilize the ovum. Changes in behavior and habits can increase your chances of having children.

If your sperm count is small, you should reduce the frequency of sexual intercourse with your partner. This aims to build better sperm quality. In addition, you may need to take additional vitamins.

As reported by webmd.com, The study found that consuming folic acid and zinc supplements can increase sperm count by 74% in men who experience fertility problems. The study found that men with fertility problems who consumed 5 mg of folic acid per day and 66 mg of zinc sulfate per day for 26 weeks had an increase in total sperm count by 74%. However, if folic acid or zinc is taken separately (not combined), there is no significant effect of sperm production.

Some foods containing folic acid are green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, and asparagus; fruits, like oranges and avocados; and nuts. Meanwhile, some foods containing zinc minerals are meat, chicken, seafood¸ vegetables and nuts.

For men who experience fertility problems due to abnormal hormone levels, doctors will usually recommend hormone therapy.

In men who experience mild infertility, artificial insemination or assisted reproductive techniques, such as IVF, may help. Another way to get children from men who have fertility problems or who have little sperm count is to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This is a laboratory procedure in which male sperm and a woman's ovum are taken and then one sperm is injected into the egg. Next, the eggs are implanted into a woman's womb. However, the success of this procedure also depends on many factors, such as the quality of a man's sperm, the quality of a woman's ovum, and the age of a woman.

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