Infertility in men: reasons and treatment options
If the desire to have children remains unfulfilled, male infertility may be present. There are mutliple reasons for this. Possible treatment depends on the cause.
Infertility in men - possible reasons
If a man is unable to produce, the testicles usually produce too few, well-motivated and healthy sperm.
- Reduced sperm production can also be the result of a mumps disease, for example.
- A lack of the male sex hormone testosterone leads to an underactive testicle and thus to a reduced production of sperm. However, other hormone changes, for example in the area of the thyroid gland, can also be responsible.
- Congenital malformations, inflammation, injuries to the testicles or prostate surgery can also be the cause of too little sperm.
- Another factor that affects the amount and quality of sperm is heat. Frequent visits to the sauna or tight-fitting trousers cause the testicles to heat up and thus often lead to a malfunction.
- Certain medications - including anabolic steroids - as well as alcohol, nicotine and substance abuse can also be reasons for male infertility.
- In addition, stress, poor nutrition and environmental pollutants are among the possible reasons for inability to conceive.
- In some cases there are enough healthy spermatozoa, but the transport route is disrupted. This is the case for example with glued vas deferens or testicular varicose veins.
- Last but not least, age also plays a role. With increasing age, the number of sperm that moves well decreases.
Possibilities of medicine in case of unfulfilled desire for children
A possible therapy for the inability to conceive depends on the cause.
- For example, if you have testicular varicose veins, surgery can help.
- Another option is seed extraction. A testicular biopsy is performed and the sperm are removed directly.
- However, this only makes sense if the sperm are of good quality. An artificial fertilization can be carried out with these sperm.
- Changing your lifestyle can be helpful. For example, avoid alcohol and nicotine.
- A more relaxed lifestyle helps against stress and also brings relaxation to the otherwise tense everyday life.
- Infections in the testicle area are treated with a suitable antibiotic and are usually easy to treat.
- Psychotherapy is also important for male infertility.
