Sperm counts are dropping all over the world, which could land you in an infertility clinic down the road if you’re one of the millions of men suffering from male infertility. However, before you start researching IVF clinics and stashing away thousands of dollars for the inevitable costs of treatment, learn about some of the preventable male infertility causes.
Understanding the causes of male fertility problems and what you can do to improve your sperm health may help you avoid the road to medically-assisted baby making.
3 common causes of male infertility
There’s a big chunk of data that points to three major causes of infertility: obesity, poor diet and toxins in the world around you. The first two are within your control, so we’ll discuss those first.
Graphic from NY Post Why More Men Are Suffering From Infertility Than Ever Before
Male fertility and obesity
Those love handles may be holding back your baby-making potential. A Harvard study found that just over one in 10 overweight men were likely to have a low sperm count. However, the news gets worse: almost 40% of this same overweight group didn’t have any sperm at all.
Graphic from Men’sHealth Your Weight Is Messing With Your Sperm
Obese men have it even worse. 42% had low sperm counts and 80% of those weren’t producing any swimmers at all. It’s not clear yet whether the extra pounds or the health problems that usually accompany obesity are to blame. On the other hand, the results certainly argue for dropping some pounds for optimum male fertility.
Male fertility, diet and lifestyle
If you want to hear the pitter patter of little babies someday soon, it may be time to trade in the bong and beer bottles for grilled chicken and vegetables. Junk food and recreational drug use are male fertility killers. If you want to maximize your sperm output – know and avoid these diet and lifestyle sperm killers.
- Smoking. Smoking, including cigarettes and cannabis, are a no-no for optimum sperm counts.
- Alchohol. It’s been common knowledge for a while that excessive alcohol consumption is likely to reduce sperm count.
- Sugary foods. Besides contributing to obesity, too much sugar can sabotage sperm quality and increase your risk of needing a doctor to help you get your wife pregnant.
- Junk food. The same saturated fatty foods your doctor tells you are bad for your heart are bad for your sperm production machinery.
- Sedentary lifestyle. Laying around working remotely or binge watching season 100 of whatever the latest Netflix fad is may be hazardous to your baby-making potential.
- Steroid use. You may need to bail on those gigantic biceps if they’re bulging with the help of anabolic steroids.
Environmental causes of male infertility
You may not be able to avoid some of these factors. However, others may simply require an awareness of where you are and what you’re wearing (yes, seriously, what you’re wearing.) Environmental pollution is tough to dodge if you work in a city or live near one. If you work in a job that requires you work with pesticides or electromagnetic radiation, check with your doctor to see if there’s any way to limit the damage to your nether regions.
One other big enemy of the testes: Heat. Suntanning or a lot of outdoor hiking in the heat of summer could be the kiss of sperm death. And yes, that scene in She’s Having a Baby is actually scientific – trading in briefs for boxers will keep your manhood cooler. And believe or not, a little meditation may go a long way: Emotional stress is as bad for your sperm as it is for your mindset.
Steps you can take to improve male fertility
Now that you know the bad and the ugly, we’ll go over some of the good you can do to boost your sperm health.
Hit the gym. Find out what your BMI is and strive to get to a level that’s healthy for your height.
Eat healthy. It may sound obvious, but a healthy diet leads to healthy sperm.
Practice relaxation. Stress isn’t healthy for anyone, and a 10-minute relaxation tape in the morning, afternoon and at night may help keep you at a better sperm-producing level of chill.
Move your body. Even minimal daily activity will give you extra sperm protecting enzymes.
Don’t smoke or binge drink. The Mayo clinic suggest cutting out all smoking, and setting a two-drink daily maximum.
Keep heat off your southern exposure. Keep you laptop off of your lap, avoid hot tub parties and limit any extra heat near your jewels.
Graphic from Trakfertility.com Are You Cooking Your Balls?
Up next time: When you should see a male infertility doc
If loose boxers, six-pack abs and an impeccable diet aren’t improving your sperm count, it may be time to see a doctor. I know, I know…no guy wants to go to a urologist to have his package checked out. But like I said above — the tick tock tick tock of the biological clock is still ticking while you sail down denial river, so the sooner you get help the more chance you have of avoiding the big ticket IVF procedures.
I didn’t want to accept the reality of my male infertility at first, and the result was we wasted a lot of time on treatments that had single-digit odds of success.
Don’t be like me!
We’ll deep dive into what doctors can and can’t do to help you if you’re male fertility-challenged.