What is Oligospermia?
Low sperm counts in men’s semen are symptoms of a medical disease called oligospermia. A healthy quantity of sperm in a man’s semen is typically required to impregnate a woman. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2009, oligospermia is the term for a disorder with less than 15 million sperm per milliliter (mL).
What are the symptoms of oligospermia?
Oligospermia frequently has no outward signs. But such signs could be as follows:
- Having trouble becoming pregnant
- Desire of sexuality
- Testicular pain or swelling.
- Hormonal problems, such as thinning hair or facial hair.
You must discuss with a health provider if you experience signs of low sperm count or oligospermia.
What are the common causes of oligospermia?
It’s common for your sperm count to fluctuate as you get older and throughout your life. However, several diseases and lifestyle choices can raise the risk of oligospermia in men.
- Unbalances in hormone production: The pituitary and hypothalamus create the hormones needed to make sperm. Any variation in these hormones results in a reduction in sperm production.
- Ejaculatory problems: Retrograde ejaculation is the process by which semen returns to the bladder after first pouring out of the penis. Men who have this disease may become infertile due to a decrease in sperm counts.
- Undescended testicles: It is unlikely that men born with this disease will be reproductive. A person’s fertility is impaired if, during fetal development, the testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that forms the scrotum.
- Anti-sperm antibodies: Low sperm counts are caused by certain immune system cells called anti-sperm antibodies, which tend to kill sperm cells by mistaking them for dangerous invaders.
- Chromosomal abnormalities: Certain genetic disorders, such as Kartagener’s syndrome, Kallmann’s syndrome, and Klinefelter’s syndrome, can cause the male reproductive organs to develop abnormally.
- Obstructions: One of the main reasons for oligospermia is obstruction. Low semen flow can result from blockages in the tubes that deliver sperm, such as cystic fibrosis, or from injuries from previous surgeries and infections.
- Trauma or Injury: Several kinds of surgical procedures, including vasectomy, hernia repair, scrotal, prostate, and other procedures, can lower the number of sperm in your ejaculate.
- Certain medications: A person’s ability to produce sperm may be hampered by some medications, including testosterone replacement treatment, antibiotics, antifungals, ulcer medications, and chemotherapy drugs.
- Environmental factors: Fertility may be lowered by exposure to radiation, toxins, and heavy metals
- Testicles not yet descending: It is rare for men born with this disease to be fertile. However, during fetal development, the testicles fail to descend from the abdomen into the sac that becomes the scrotum, impairing the individual’s fertility.
How does Oligospermia affect male fertility?
Oligospermia limits the amount of sperm accessible for possible fertilization, it lowers the probability of a successful conception and hence affects male fertility.
How is Oligospermia Diagnosed?
Along with a physical examination, your healthcare professional will record your medical history. Other tests that they could request include:
- Tests on sperm function and examination of semen.
- To check for retrograde ejaculation, get a urinalysis (sperm flowing backwards inside you).
- Imaging examinations of your reproductive system, such as scrotal and transrectal ultrasounds.
- Tests to determine the amount of hormones in your endocrine system.
- Looking for genetic diseases.
What are the treatment options are available for oligospermia?
Both sperm count and quality can increase with treatment. These therapeutic choices consist of the following:
- Surgery: Surgery is often needed for varicocele. Your doctor will seal off the swollen veins during the surgery. They’ll switch the blood flow to a different vein.
- Medications: Medicines like antibiotics treat inflammation and infections. Though they might not increase sperm counts, treatment might stop sperm count declines from worsening.
- Lifestyle modifications: Maintaining a healthy weight and losing weight may increase sperm counts and lower your chance of developing other illnesses. You can also give up alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics to increase sperm counts.
- Treatment with hormones: Hormones can be balanced again using a variety of medicines, injections, and lifestyle modifications. Sperm counts might increase after hormone levels return to normal.
- Assistance with Reproduction: In case you and your partner are still unable to conceive, you can discuss the possibilities with a fertility specialist.
What are the risk factors for Oligospermia (low sperm count)?
The low sperm count is linked to certain risk factors. The following is a list of oligospermia risks:
- Unhealthy behaviors include drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and using illegal drugs
- Being overweight
- Depression or tension in one’s personal and professional lives
- Having previously experienced certain health problems
- Toxin and chemical exposure
- Exposed testicles to intense heat
- Testicular trauma or injury
- Use of certain drugs
- Testicles that have not descended
- Being treated with radiation and chemotherapy for a chronic sickness or tumor
- Chromosomal and genetic abnormalities may bring on this reproductive problem.
Can oligospermia be prevented?
Oligospermia can be prevented by taking care of your nutrition, exercise, sleep patterns, and alcohol consumption, which will help you take care of yourself in every aspect, including your sperm count.
When should someone seek medical advice for a low sperm count?
Most likely, you won’t become aware of your low sperm count right away. You can’t feel anything about it. Most often, the initial symptom is infertility despite your best efforts. At that point, you and your spouse would most likely visit a healthcare professional to determine the reason for your infertility.
Consult your provider:
- Why is the sperm count so low?
- Is it possible for me to increase the number of sperm in my body?
- Is there a severe reason for the low sperm count?
- Should I seek further assistance from a different kind of healthcare provider?
Why choose Tender Palm IVF & Fertility Center for Oligospermia (Low sperm count) Treatment in Lucknow, India?
Tender Palm IVF & Fertility Center offers the best oligospermia (low sperm count) treatment in Lucknow, India. We have an experienced team of fertility specialists and andrologists who use modern technology to diagnose and treat male infertility conditions such as oligospermia in Lucknow, India. Our team follows international safety standards and has years of experience treating male infertility. We provide accurate evaluation of underlying causes, personalized treatment plans, and minimally invasive procedures with high success rates at an affordable cost. At Tender Palm IVF & Fertility Center, we ensure safe, effective, and result-oriented treatment for male infertility in Lucknow, India.