Protecting Your Sperm Cells?

Sperm cell or spermatozoa is the reproductive cell or unit in males that is discharged along with the semen when a man ejaculate. Every time a men ejaculates, he releases as many as 40 million sperms cells. These sperm cells carry either X or Y chromosomes which ascertain the gender of the baby in case of a possible conception. The sperm cells are tadpole shaped and consist of head and tail. The head of sperm carries the genetic information or the DNA (i.e. X or Y chromosomes) and tail helps the sperm cell to move and swim towards and within the genitalia of females.

It is noteworthy that the sperm cell must fertilize the female eggs for conception to occur. When sperm cells meet the female eggs, the product is referred to as zygote which later develops into an embryo. The quality and quantity of sperms is very important for successful conception.

What are the factors that affect the health of sperms?

The healthy sperms are necessary for male sexual health and fertility. Especially if you want to have children; then your sperms count and quantity matters a lot.

There are a number of factors that may affect the health of sperms. You should consider these factors to protect your sperms. These are

Life style:

The lifestyle of a person matters a lot when it comes to the health of sperms. Following are some lifestyle factors that may impact the sperm health significantly.

• Occupation:

If you are working in an environment where you are exposed to different radiations and harmful rays, your sperms are at much higher risk of getting damaged or injured.

• Smoking:

Nicotine is deleterious for the health of sperms. It not only reduces the sperm count and quality but also reduces the motility of sperms. They are also considered as harmful for your libido. Besides, tobacco in smoking can lead to deleterious damage to the sperm DNA which ultimately causes issues for the new born baby. Smoking can also aggravate the risk of certain cancers such as prostate cancer and testicles cancer.

• Alcohol consumption:

Excess consumption of alcohol can lead to various issues that affect sperm count and motility negatively.

• Stress:

Stress and depression are one of the reasons that can cause serious sperm damage. It increases the production of stress hormone, Cortisol that suppresses the testosterone production in males which in turn reduces sperm count and quality.

• Obesity:

Obesity always results in poor sperm count. It exerts negative impact on the gonadotropin secretion (which instructs the testicles to create sperms) and reduced testosterone production in the males.

• Overheating:

Hot baths for prolonged periods of time can lead to negative impact on the sperm count. Heat has the ability to damage the sperm count and motility.

The environmental factors that impact sperm health:

Just like lifestyle factors, some environmental factors can also affect sperm cells. Such as

• We live in a technologically advanced environment where our surroundings are full of electronic devices and gadgets.  These devices release electromagnetic radiations which are very harmful for sperms health and quality.
• The exposure to X ray and different radiations also leads to poor sperm count and motility.
• Chemical produce by large number of industries around us is also harmful for sperm production.
• Exposure of heavy metal negatively impact male sexual health.

Medical factors:

There are several diseases and health related issues that exert negative impacts on the sperm count and quality. Some are as follows:

• Cancer, particularly prostate or testicular cancer.
• Infection of genitals.
• Hormonal imbalance.
• Chromosomal abnormality and genetic disorders.
• Undescended testicles.
• Varicocele (the condition in which the veins which helps in exhausting blood from testicles get swollen)
• Any surgery of male reproductive organ or lower abdomen.
• Defect in the duct of sperm. These ducts carry sperms. Any defect in these ducts hinders their smooth movement.
• Immune disorders.

How to enhance sperm health?

• Maintain normal body weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Consume healthy diet which consists of all essentials vitamins and minerals.
• Quit smoking and alcohol consumption.
• Avoid chemical exposure.
• Wearing boxers rather than briefs.
•  Avoid long term exposure of heat.

 

When to seek medical advice:

Sperms are very important for male reproductive health. If you find difficulty in achieving successful conception for more than six months, consult your doctor and schedule a detailed evaluation of sperms.