Overview

Sperm quality isn’t something you think about all that much. If you and your partner want to start or extend your family, the number and quality of swimmers you have may be the most important consideration.

While it only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg, the journey to that point might be difficult. The greater your sperm count, the better your chances.

Let’s look at why you could have a low sperm count, how to find out for sure, and what therapies are available at the best IVF center in Mumbai to assist improve your reserves or otherwise increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Causes

Male infertility is commonly caused by low sperm count, also known as oligospermia. Sperm count is deemed poor if it falls below 15 million sperm per milliliter (mL) of sperm, despite the fact that the average is around 75 million sperm per ml.

Obesity or overweight, trauma or surgery in or around the testicles, and taking certain drugs are also risk factors. Additional factors that may put you at risk include overheating your testicles or having other medical conditions. Aside from that, there are some other causes of poor sperm quality according to the experts at the Best IVF Hospital in Mumbai, which can be classified into three categories: environmental, medical, and lifestyle.

› Environmental Factors

It may surprise you to hear that optimal sperm conditions are somewhat lower than body temperature, which is why the testicles are located outside the abdominal cavity.

Sperm production can be reduced if your testicles are overheated. This means that anything from regularly using hot springs to sitting with your computer on your lap may reduce your counts.

Occupational exposure to herbicides, pesticides, solvents, and other industrial chemicals or heavy metals is another possible environmental cause. Radiation from X-rays or other sources may also impair sperm production.

› Medical Factors

You may be more likely to experience low sperm counts if you have a history of testicular symptoms, injuries, or surgeries as well as genetic disorders such as Klinefelter syndrome.

Treatments for cancer, such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, may also have an impact on sperm and hormone production. Radiation to the testicles directly affects the cells that generate sperm, however, radiation to the brain or surgery to the brain can also cause low sperm count because hormones produced in the brain drive sperm production.

Other plausible explanations include:

• Varicocele is a condition that causes swelling in the veins that drain the testicles and is one of the most common causes of male infertility.
• Prior infections or sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can cause reproductive system obstructions, scarring, or other damage
• Erection or ejaculation problems (Diabetes and spinal traumas, for example, can cause erectile dysfunction or retrograde ejaculation.)
• Immune system dysfunction

› Lifestyle Factors

Actions such as heavy drug and alcohol use, as well as smoking or vaping, can all reduce sperm count. Anabolic steroids, which are commonly used to build muscular mass, almost always cause testicles to shrink and sperm production to decline.

Other plausible explanations include:

• Small levels of anabolic steroids, which might decrease sperm production, may be found in testosterone boosters, vitamins, and pre-workout supplements marketed to athletes.
• Jobs that demand prolonged sitting, such as truck driving.
• Emotional problems, such as stress and depression, are more serious if they are long-term and severe.
• Body weight, particularly if you are obese or overweight, can also have an impact on hormones.

Treatment at Our IVF Center Mumbai

The treatment you receive for low sperm count will be determined by the cause.

› Treating Infections

Antibiotics can treat a reproductive tract infection, but they do not always restore fertility.

› Surgery

For instance, it is frequently possible to surgically repair a clogged vas deferens or correct a varicocele. Previous vasectomies are reversible. When there are no sperm in the ejaculate, sperm can be extracted straight from the testicles or epididymis using sperm retrieval procedures.

› Hormone Treatments and Medications

In cases when infertility is caused by high or low levels of specific hormones or difficulties with the way the body processes hormones, your doctor may offer hormone replacement or medications.

› Assisted reproductive technology

Depending on your personal situation and aspirations, ART treatments may involve collecting sperm by regular ejaculation, surgical extraction, or from donor persons. The sperm is subsequently implanted in the female genital tract or used in IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

In some cases of poor sperm quality, our doctor at the best IVF center in Mumbai may recommend Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). Your female spouse may be given clomiphene to help with egg development during this treatment. You supply sperm in a cup during ovulation, which is then cleansed and concentrated. The sperm is then inserted into the uterus via a long, flexible tube.

› Lifestyle Changes

Having sexual intercourse more frequently and timing sex with ovulation are two things you may do at home to boost your chances of pregnancy if you have a low sperm count.

Having sex every day or every other day for a few days before, during, and after ovulation, for example, will assist ensure that the swimmers who make it to the egg arrive at the correct moment.

You can read this blog “How Does Sperm Morphology (Shape) Affect Fertility?”, to learn about sperm shape and how it affects on your fertility.