Male infertility: Natural treatment

Male infertility plays a very important role in the infertile couple, because about 30% of the problems related to pregnancy correspond to a male factor.

Most of the time, an infertile man has  poor seminal quality , which means that his sperm does not have sufficient capacity to fertilize the egg and give birth to a pregnancy.

Depending on the cause of this male infertility, it will be possible to apply a specific natural treatment to allow these couples to become parents. To discover this natural treatment, click on the image below

The different types of sterility in men

Male infertility can be caused by different  factors , which can be grouped into several categories:

Pre-testicular or endocrine factor

hormonal disorders that affect testicular development and / or function.

Testicular factor

problem directly related to the testes.

Post-testicular factor

disturbances in the outflow of sperm.

Sperm factor

direct sperm quality disturbances.

Although there are different causes, they all affect the quality of ejaculated semen in one way or another  . A good seminal quality is determined by its concentration values, its mobility, its morphology and its vitality.

To diagnose what could be the cause of male infertility, the man will have to undergo several tests, among which is the spermogram.

Pre-testicular or endocrine factor

This type of infertility is due to problems with the hormonal regulation of  spermatogenesis , ie the production of sperm.

The hormones secreted by the pituitary gland,  LH  and  FSH , responsible for acting on human reproductive function can be altered for the following reasons:

• A lifestyle that is not healthy
• Diabetes
• The hypothyroidism  and hyperthyroidism
• Hypogonadism
• The hyperprolactinemia

These disorders may be due to congenital problems or be caused by external factors like certain substances or drugs, like anabolics, which directly affect the hormonal system and produce fertility problems.

Testicular factor

When we talk about  testicular factor , we are referring to any factor that directly affects the testes.

This disorder or defect can occur from birth or be the result of external agents during the human life. It can come from congenital or acquired disorders:

Congenital testicular factors

they are produced by genetic disorders at the chromosome level (as in the case of Klinefelter syndrome). They can also be found at the genetic level, as in the case of Noonan syndrome, or if diseases appear produced by defects in genes of the Y chromosome.

Defects acquired at the testicular level

in this category are the side effects produced by drugs, such as chemotherapy treatments, drug use, radiotherapy, trauma, infections, etc. The most famous pathologies are varicocele,  cryptorchidism , orchitis and hydrocele .

Post-testicular factor

The cause of sterility in men due to post-testicular factor extends to all cases caused by obstruction or disorders of the spermatic or seminal tract.

The seminal tracts of the epididymis, the vas deferens and the urethra must be passed through by sperm to exit to the outside.

These disorders can be caused by infections, obstructions, trauma, anti sperm antibodies, hypospadias or cystic fibrosis.

The inability to ejaculate is also considered a post-testicular disorder.

Sperm factor

Male infertility due to a sperm factor is the most common. This category includes sperm disorders that directly affect morphology, mobility, vitality or concentration.

To analyze the seminal quality, a spermogram is carried out which makes it possible to diagnose the following disorders:

Oligospermia or oligozoospermia

low  concentration of sperm .

Asthenozoospermia

poor sperm motility.

Teratospermia or teratozoospermia

high amount of morphologically abnormal sperm.

Necrospermia or necrozoospermia

high amount of dead sperm.

Azoospermia

absence of sperm in the ejaculate.

Symptoms

Male infertility does not cause symptoms that can be perceived by a man. It can only be known when, after a long period of unprotected sex, it has not been possible to achieve pregnancy and the couple begins to take tests.

On the other hand, if the man has already been diagnosed with another disease such as hypogonadism, he may already suspect that he will have difficulty having children.

In addition, there are certain signs that can alert a man to possible infertility. Here are a few examples:

• Libido and erection problems.
• Semen alterado con un color anómalo, olor fuerte, muy acuoso o muy espeso, etc.
• Have testicles that are smaller than normal.
• Changes in the voice, hair loss, or a decrease in muscle mass indicate possible hormonal changes.
• Changes in urine or pain when urinating that alerts you to a possible infection.
• Appearance of varicose veins in the testicles.

If these symptoms appear when the couple is looking for pregnancy, the man should undergo tests that include the necessary tests to confirm if it is a case of male infertility.

Treatment

To treat male infertility, it is necessary to know the cause that prevents pregnancy in the first place. In some cases, it is possible to regain male fertility after pharmacological treatment or surgery. In the most serious cases, the only option will be assisted reproduction.

Here are some treatments that can be applied:

Natural treatment

A healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet combined with vitamin supplements can help improve seminal quality in milder cases. Antioxidants such as selenium, carnitine, and vitamins E, A, C and B12 are especially important.

Hormonal drugs

Gonadotropins and clomiphene citrate, for example, are given to men with hypogonadism.

Surgery

for testicular conditions such as cryptorchidism or varicocele.

Assisted procreation

when the above options cannot be applied or were not applied successfully. In the face of a severe male factor, the technique that offers the best success rates is ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm micro-injection).