What is the reason for sperm reduction?

The number of sperm in a man's body is much greater than the number of eggs in a woman's body. A man produces tens of thousands of sperm during his lifetime. While a woman only secretes a few hundred eggs in her lifetime, young men will find that their sperm is very thick and numerous. But as age increases, one's sperm will gradually become thinner, so why does a man's sperm gradually become less?

What causes a decrease in sperm count in men?

1. Cryptorchidism

Studies have reported that approximately 30% to 60% of patients with unilateral cryptorchidism are infertile, while 50% to 100% of patients with bilateral cryptorchidism are infertile. Among oligospermia patients, cryptorchidism accounts for approximately 9%. In addition to the degeneration of the seminiferous tubules affecting spermatogenesis, the completely descended testicle on the other side may also be damaged to varying degrees. The reason may be that the anti-sperm antibodies produced by the cryptorchid testis affect the normal testis.

2. Endocrine abnormalities

Normal male spermatogenesis depends on the normal function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis. Any obstruction in any link will affect spermatogenesis. Other diseases such as thyroid and adrenal diseases will also affect the function of the gonads and cause oligospermia.

3. Varicocele

Infertility caused by varicocele accounts for 30% to 40% of male infertility. Due to the increase in testicular temperature and the accumulation of toxins, the testicular spermatogenesis function is affected, causing oligospermia, and in severe cases, azoospermia.

4. Urogenital system inflammation

Including orchitis, epididymitis, seminal vesiculitis, prostatitis, urethritis, etc. This type of patients accounts for the largest proportion among oligospermia. Inflammation of the urogenital tract can directly affect the spermatogenesis function of the testicles, and can also cause the production of antisperm antibodies in the blood or semen, affecting the pH value of the semen. In addition, the pathogen's direct killing effect on sperm can cause a decrease in sperm count.

5. Scrotal temperature is too high

The seminiferous tubules in the testicles that are specifically used to produce sperm are very sensitive to temperature changes. The suitable temperature for this part is 2 to 3 degrees Celsius lower than human body temperature. Excessively high temperatures can easily inhibit the survival and maturation of sperm, resulting in a decrease in the number of sperm in the semen or a decrease in their motility.

How to take care of men's declining sperm count

1. Male friends should stay away from cigarettes and alcohol. Smoking is not only harmful to the body, but may also cause poor sperm quality.

2. Avoid taking illegal drugs. Long-term use of certain drugs or drugs will reduce sperm activity and even cause chromosomal abnormalities or sperm deformities. If pregnancy is planned, the husband should stop taking the medication at least three months in advance.

3. Male friends should try to avoid local high temperature damage. If they always take a hot spring bath or stay in a sauna for a long time, the temperature of certain parts of the body will rise, which will cause damage to sperm.

4. Avoid bacterial infection. Unclean living habits may introduce local infection, or some common gynecological diseases in women may be transmitted to their sexual partners through living together. Bacterial infections are actually very common among men, and severe infections may also lead to infertility.

The above is an introduction to the reasons why male sperm count decreases. The editor reminds that since the causes of decreased male sperm count are mostly pathological, for the sake of their own health, patients must go to the hospital to find out the cause of the disease and choose appropriate treatment methods based on the cause in order to recover as soon as possible.