Conceiving is much more difficult than is believed, in fact, it is estimated that 11% of sexually active couples looking for a child have some type of complication to generate or maintain pregnancy, which suggests that both men and women are screened for any type of infertility. When women cannot get pregnant, the most common is to think that there is a problem with their reproductive system, however, it is important to note that 33% of these cases are due to inconveniences associated with women, 33% to problems related to the man and the remaining percentage to isolated inconveniences to the couple.
We know that age and polycystic ovaries are important factors in women that can compromise their fertility, but when is a man considered infertile? There is talk of male infertility when the man has difficulty getting the woman pregnant and has been trying for at least a year. The fact that a man is infertile does not mean that he is sterile, therefore, in most cases of male infertility there are options and treatments to correct this condition. A man may be less fertile due to physical, hormonal, emotional and even environmental problems; If you want to know more about this topic, we invite you to continue reading this FastlyHealarticle where we thoroughly explain the causes of male infertility.
Table of Contents
Varicocele
One of the main concerns of the man diagnosed with varicocele is whether this condition can affect his fertility. The truth is that varicocele , once it is treated, should not pose any risk of male infertility. Why? A varicocele is the inflammation of the veins of the scrotum that run along the spermatic cord that supports the testicles. When this happens, these veins raise the temperature in the testicles and, if their size becomes too large, they can decrease the production of sperm , affecting fertility.
However, once the veins are treated and the varicocele is cured, sperm production should return to normal. In cases of varicocele and infertility, the cause of infertility is not usually attributed to the disease, since most of the time men have problems conceiving prior to the diagnosis of varicocele, to the point that this condition is more common in men with some type of male infertility. If you had a varicocele and the disease was treated correctly, there is no risk that the condition is the cause of your current problems conceiving.
Obstruction of the vas deferens
The vas deferens are a very important part of the male reproductive system. These are the channels that make it possible for sperm and sperm to travel from the epididymis to the penis to be expelled in ejaculation. This problem occurs in at least 20% of men and can be caused by a scar, infection, or a rare genetic disease known as cystic fibrosis.
There is also the possibility that the man was born without developed vas deferens due to a congenital defect. Any obstruction or damage in this part of the male body can considerably affect a man’s fertility , since it prevents the correct transit of sperm to the penis, which decreases its quantity or makes it impossible to expel it at the time of ejaculation, making it almost impossible to achieve a pregnancy. In these cases, medical intervention is necessary for conceiving to be a fact, usually the recommended method is in vitro insemination. When the obstruction of the ducts is due to a scar or fibrous tissue, the case can be evaluated to see if surgery is a good option for the sperm to circulate properly.
Retrograde ejaculation
One of the lesser known causes of male infertility is retrograde ejaculation , a condition that occurs when semen does not exit the urethra during ejaculation, but instead travels to the bladder. This condition is very rare and usually occurs when the neck or opening of the male bladder fails to close, allowing sperm to travel to the bladder instead of the penis.
Retrograde ejaculation can also be caused by diabetes, by taking medications for high blood pressure or depression, and by surgery to fix problems in the prostate or urethra. Peaty urine after orgasm and the absence of semen during ejaculation are the main symptoms of this disease. Currently, there are medicines that can help treat retrograde ejaculation, however, when the cause of the condition is disease or surgery, the problem cannot be corrected. The assisted reproduction treatments are the best option to conceive when the man of this type of complication.
Sperm problems
Sperm is the substance that contains sperm that make fertilization of the female ovum possible. Any alteration in the mobility or concentration of this substance can represent a significant fertility problem. Among the problems related to sperm that can cause male infertility are :
- Low sperm count in sperm.
- Slowly mobile sperm that prevents sperm from reaching the egg.
- Malformation of the sperm.
- Very dense semen that prevents the mobility of the sperm.
Problems with the mobility and composition of sperm are often related to hormonal disorders, injury to the urinary tract, excessive exposure to heat, genital problems, drug use or genetic disease. It can also happen, in very few cases, that a man suffers from an allergy to sperm and his body creates antibodies that affect its production and quality and kill sperm as an autoimmune response of the body. Discovering the cause of the disorder that is affecting the sperm is vital to be able to determine a treatment that can cure or treat infertility. However, there are medications for men, which have a lower concentration of sperm in semen, that offer to increase male fertility.
Other causes of male infertility
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to find the cause of infertility in men, in fact, between 30% and 40% of infertile men did not find an explanation for their difficulty in conceiving. Some unexplained fertility problems are usually associated with the environment, amorphous sperm, or very slow sperm. However, there are habits that can negatively affect fertility and that it is very important to change them when you start looking for a child:
- Tobacco use.
- Consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess.
- Consumption of narcotic drugs.
- Use of steroids.
- Medications, including testosterone replacement.
- Obesity.
- Inguinal hernia.
- Sleep disorders: insomnia.
We also recommend that you consult the article Foods to improve male fertility .
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Causes of male infertility , we recommend that you enter our category of Male reproductive system .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.