Male Factor |
There has been considerable advances in the management of male infertility. As many
as 40% of couples who attend treatment have a male factor problem to some extent
or another. When a sample is to be given it is best to abstain from sex for
3-5 days, any longer may degrade the sperm as they may not be fresh at the time
of the test. Home sperm test kits are available (UK- www.smefertility.com) Sperm Analysis Volume - The amount of semen ejaculated. Average between 0.5 to 10ml (a teaspoon) Count - The number of sperm. Normal is 20 to 150 million per ml Motility - How many are moving. Normal is 50% to 80% Progression - How vigorously they move. Normal is a vigour rating of 2 (out of 3) Abnormals - How many are abnormal. Normal is between 25% and 40% Liquefaction - How well the ejaculate liquifies. Normal is a thin liquid consistency in 30 minutes The above is continually down rated as normal becomes good and bad considered normal. Why we don't know. Dinosaurs anybody?! Sperm attacks by Antibodies Immunology problems can sometimes cause fertility problems. Antibodies in the male can cause the sperm to stick together and clumping. In females, antibodies can attack the sperm as soon as they are deposited in the vagina. A cure could be taking steroids or antibiotics and by careful seperation of the sperm from the antibodies in the semen. Another way around this problem would be to bypass the vagina altogether and have the sperm injected deep into the uterus by IUI. Below are two of the most common sperm dysfunctions. Azoospermia In which there are no sperm cells identifiable in the semen sample. May be as a result of mumps in childhood, infections in the genital tract, blockage of the vas deferans or vasectomy. A high FSH hormone could also produce testicular failure. Sperm Dysfunction Where the sperm is not functioning properly. Where sperm, normal or abnormal could fertilize an egg. It is the total number of motile normal sperm which matters, sometimes simple things like smoking, alcohol, stress, driving etc. can have an affect on sperm quality. Many terms are used to describe sperm dysfunction: Olig Ozoospermia (Oligospermia) - Low numbers of sperm Asthenozoospermia (Asthenospermia) - Poor Motility Tetratozoospermia (Teratospermia) - Abnormal Forms All three terms can be combined in some assessments and often expressed as OATSs for short. For those with no sperm there are surgical methods of extractions. Both are carried out as a day case usually under general anaesthetic. PESE (Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration) In cases of blocked vas deferens, the trapped sperm is extracted by a fine needle inserted into the coiled tubing outside the testicles. TESE (Testicular Sperm Extraction) A small incision is made in the scrotum and sperm is extracted from the testis. Premature Ejaculation Practice Makes Perfect - Have sex more often, you'll be more likely to ejaculate prematurely if there is a long gap between sessions. Stop Start Approach - Stimulate the penis to the point of ejaculation then stopping then repeat until you learn to control your ejaculations. Pelvic Muscle Strengthening - Contract your buttocks for one second, do this 15 times in a row working up to 60 to 75 contractions twice a day. Some men last longer when squeezing the muscles and others when relaxing them. Exercise Later - It is unwise to exercise just before sex. Save your exercises for another time. Reverse Position - Men are more easily aroused when they are on top in the missionary position so it might be better for her to be on top. Diet for Better Sex - Inadequate blood supply to the penis through clogging with fat and cholesterol makes maintaining an erection difficult. Your brain tells you to ejaculate sooner before you lose erection. Live a healthy lifestyle. Drugs and Potions There are many misconceptions in the world of medicine purporting to increase a man's potency, most don't work. However there is some truth out there and they have provided a degree of help to some men. Natural deficiencies in a man can adversely affect sperm count and quality. In some cases a simple vitamin drop could cause sperm count to drop to almost zero! To protect his fertility, be certain to take at least one high potency multi-vitamin a day. The following is a maximum daily a man should take. These are high amounts and should only be taken with guidence of your doctor and if you suffer from poor sperm quality or count. Vitamin A upto 10,000iu daily Vitamin D upto 400mg daily Vitamin E upto 800iu daily Vitamin C upto 1,500mg daily Vitamin B complex upto 100 mg daily Vitamin B6 upto 500mg with 100mg B complex Calcium upto 800mg daily Zinc upto 100mg daily The above is rather alot of tablets to take. We're not suggesting you take them all. Depending on your severity, and being told you have no sperm could bring someone to swallow the lot! Caution is advised as with all medication, so please speak to your doctor about taking any supplements. Sperm Recipe At a dozen or more tablets a day is too much for my own delicate stomach. So I take them twice a week. I originally started off taking them every other day until I received the good news from my IVF clinic that my sperm is perfectly fine. But the shock of once being told you have no sperm hasn't worn off. So I took it upon myself to boost my vitamin intake. To some degree it has helped and improved my lot. Still, there was no harm in trying! So here is my 'sperm recipe'. I found that taking them with orange juice towards the end of meals helps the vitamins to digest quicker and prevent upset stomachs. To my astonishment it definately works! Oh, dont drink tea or coffee or milk around this time. Vitamin C 1000mg Vitamin B6 82mg Vitamin B12 500mg Vitamin E 800iu Chromium 200΅g Coenzyme Q10 10mg Ginseng 500mg Selenium 200΅g Taurine or L'Arginine 500mg Zinc 75mg Multivitamin with Copper Vitamin E Studies show that deficiencies may lead to degeneration of testicle tissue affecting sperm production and maturation. Once this type of damage occurs, restoring deficiencies won't help. So it is essential that the male never allows even a slight dip in E. levels. Vitamin E only remains in the body a short time so deficiency can easily occur. For further reading on vitamins and fertility Click Here Disclaimer Suggested intakes and any recommendations is provided for general purpose information only and should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. Always consult your own GP if you're in anyway concerned about your health. |
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