How Sperm is Impacted by Your Health
When was the last time you took stock of your healthcare goals, including fertility and family planning? Your fertility, aka the quality and quantity of your sperm, is directly linked to your overall health in a few different ways. This isn’t to say that someone leading a healthy lifestyle cannot experience a fertility issue, but if you’re not practicing good health habits and also have a fertility concern there’s a very good chance your doctor will recommend making some changes, either before treatment or in conjunction with.
So, how can male fertility be linked with a healthy lifestyle? We’ve outlined a few of the basics for men and their partners to consider below.
It’s time to quit smoking, for real
Tobacco use is directly linked to fertility issues as it can damage the quality and quantity of your sperm. You’ve long heard that smoking is not beneficial to overall health, having been linked to serious, sometimes fatal, lung and heart conditions for years. There are many, many reasons for you to finally quit smoking, but if you did need another, the habit is doing exactly zero favors when it comes to your ability to conceive.
Pay attention to temperature around your groin
You’ve probably heard that hot tub use is not recommended because the heat can negatively impact male fertility, and this advice is also true for other situations where either a source of heat or constricting clothing can lead to damaged sperm. Examples of this include keeping a laptop or tablet on your lap for extended periods, keeping a hot mobile phone in your pocket, wearing tight underwear, etc.
Review any medication use with your doctor
There are several medications that can impact fertility, and you may not realize that you could be taking one or more. This isn’t to say that there will need to be a change to your routine, any decisions per this should remain between you and your doctor, but if there’s an inability to conceive and medications in use, it’s possible that there’s a link.
One additional point to consider here is cancer treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation can negatively impact fertility in both men and women. Now, it’s more common for oncologists to suggest fertility preservation before starting cancer treatment, but in the past, this conversation might not have taken place. If you underwent cancer treatment previously without fertility preservation, this should be noted to any fertility specialist you may connect with.
If you have questions about how men’s health and fertility can be linked, or if you’d like to schedule an appointment with our staff, please contact us today.
