- By Dr. Atangwho
A lot of couples currently have fertility problems & a large part of that is sperm-related.
Sperm counts have been declining steadily over the past 50 years.
Men, avoid the below factors listed & boost your sperm count, motility, viability & overall fertility.
1). Tight underwears
2). Hot baths
3). Infections
4). Varicoceles
5). Laptops
6). Drugs
7). Mobile phones
8). Smoking
9). Marijuana
10). Steroids
10 common ways men damage their sperm without knowing
1). Wear Boxers Instead of Tight Pants
Wear boxers instead of tight pants, & go to bed naked if you want to become a father.
Wearing tight #underwears like pants or shorts keep your testicles closer to the body, leading to warmer temperatures that may kill sperm & lower sperm count.
2). Bathing With Hot water.
Bathing with #hot water frequently exposes your testicles to heat, which reduces your sperm count.
Same thing happens to men who use saunas often.
In fact, if you’re worried about infertility, it’s best to bath with cold water.
Avoid hot water baths!
3). Infections.
Some #Infections can block sperm production or passage, due to scaring.
Infections of the testicles (e.g. mumps orchitis), sperm tube (epididymitis) & STI’s like HIV & gonorrhea can do this.
Subsequent permanent damage to the testis may occur, leading to low infertility.
4). Varicoceles
Varicoceles (swelling of the testis veins) is a major cause of low sperm count & infertility in men.
Sperm cells are very fragile.
Varicoceles create abnormal temperature inside the testis which might kill some sperm or reduce sperm quality.
Treat your varicoceles.
5). Use Of Laptops On Laps
An average #laptop generates heat of up to 70°C during use.
Placing it directly on your laps can transfer some of that heat to your testis.
Prolonged use may cause irreversible changes in your male reproductive function.
Use your laptop on a desk or table rather.
6). Use Illegal and Legal Drugs
Some common legal & illegal #drugs affect sperm e.g.,
– blood pressure pills like Atenolol
– anti-inflammatory drugs like Sulfasalazine
– most anti-cancer drugs
– cocaine, &
– many herbal remedies like the herb Tripterygium wilfordii
See a doctor before taking drugs.
7). Heat & Radiation From Phones Can Damage Sperm.
Studies shown that using a phone for as little as 1 hr a day ‘cooks sperm’.
Men are hence advised to keep their cell phones as far away from the testes as possible e.g. hold in your hand or back pocket instead of front pocket.
8). Smoking Tobacco
Analysis of smokers’ semen show the presence of Tobacco in their sperm.
This lowers sperm count & sperm ability to swim actively to fertilize a woman’s egg.
So smoking damages a man’s sperm in such a way that fertilization becomes difficult.
Avoid smoking.
9). Regular Taking Marijuana
Regular taking marijuana in any form can reduce your sperm count by as much as a one-third!
Weed 🌿 lowers the level of testosterone, a hormone needed by the body to produce sperm.
Weed also slows down sperm motility.
Beware of weed!
10). Intake Of Steroids
A serious issue nowadays is some guys take steroids to build muscles
Steroids harm sperm by making the testicles believe there’s enough testosterone in the body, so they should completely relax.
This leads to reduced sperm production & male infertility.
Stop steroid abuse.
In addition, Alcohol use can lower testosterone levels & cause decreased sperm production.
