Causes of male infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Many a time’s infertility is considered as female’s problem .This is the most prevalent of all myths having to do with infertility, and if a couple is unable to have a child, the woman is thought to be "barren." In fact, according to Resolve, a national infertility advocacy organization in the USA, men and women are about equally responsible when it comes to infertility.  In reality, 40% of infertility is due to female factors, 40% due to male factors and 20% due to both but let’s have a look at some causes of male infertility too:

1. Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems.
2. Occupation or job: There are certain occupations can increase your risk of infertility, including those associated with desk jobs or extended use of computers or video display monitors, shift work, and work-related stress. Working on laptops while placing them on your laps is hugely associated with infertility in men as the heat caused by them often reduced sperm motility and sperm DNA fragmentation
3. Tobacco or smoking: Men who smoke may have a lower sperm count than do those who don’t smoke. Secondhand smoke also may affect male fertility. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes interfere with the body’s ability to produce healthy sperm count.
4. Wearing too-tight trousers or skinny jeans: Yes wearing tight inner wears or jeans could seriously damage your health. It can cut off circulation and cause nerve damage, swelling of the ankles and feet and fertility problems. Tight pants or skinny jeans do in fact damage the testicles; even low sperm count and can cause infertility in men. But that’s not all. Wearing skinny jeans is associated with many negative consequences for both men and women. It causes infertility problems in men by overheating of the crotch
   
   area which can cause yeast infections and urinary tract infections (UTI) in women. Not only that too tight trousers or jeans from waist area constricts the abdominal area filled with vital organs, causing problems such as reduced lymph flow from the pelvis, improper immune system function and poor blood circulation
5. Stress: It can interfere with certain hormones needed to produce sperm. Severe or prolonged emotional stress, including problems with fertility, can affect your sperm count. Men may consider it an assault on their masculinity if they are the cause for the failure to conceive.
6. Increased weight: If you are overweight or obese then it can cause hormone changes that reduce male fertility.
7. Prolonged bicycling: prolonged biking is another possible cause of reduced fertility due to overheating the testicles. In some cases, bicycle seat pressure on the area behind the testicles (perineum) can cause numbness in the penis and erectile dysfunction.