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| Stress could affect semen quality |
Men should pay attention to a new study that suggests that stress and anxiety could affect the quality of the semen they produce. Discover more details about this finding and other causes that can affect your fertility.
Stress can affect the fertility of both women and men . Now, a new study developed by researchers in Italy suggests that stress may be linked to sperm quality and states that men's ability to produce it may depend on their ability to cope with stress.
To reach this conclusion, which has been published in the specialized media Fertility and Sterility , a group of scientists from the European Hospital of Rome evaluated 94 men who visited a fertility clinic for the first time and another 85 who were not looking for fertility treatments , as a comparative group.
Each man gave semen samples for analysis and answered two surveys that sought to measure their level of stress in the short and long term, on scales of 20 to 80 points, in which a higher score was considered a higher level of stress or anxiety .
On average, men in both groups obtained scores of 37 to 40, that is, a level that was not considered as "pathological" (that is, abnormal or representative as a symptom of some disease).
But when the researchers compared men with lower stress levels to those who had demonstrated the highest levels of stress, they found that the latter were more likely to have a lower sperm count and concentration. The most stressed, even, were more likely that their sperm was motionless (not moving) or had DNA failures.
On the other hand, the relationship between stress and semen quality was weaker among those who were not looking for fertility treatment, which also proved to have better semen quality.
These results showed that men with higher levels of stress and anxiety, both short and long term, ejaculated less semen and had less concentration and sperm count . Even men with the highest levels of anxiety were more likely to have irregularly shaped sperm or less motility (less movement).
At this time it is necessary to do more research to determine more precisely the effect of stress on male fertility. In addition, it should be borne in mind that this study only evaluated men who were already looking for fertility treatments , a process that in itself can generate stress and anxiety.
Remember that male infertility may be due to different reasons, among which is the production of abnormal sperm. An irregularly shaped sperm, for example, may not have the ability to "swim" until it finds its destination. In contrast, pregnancy is much more likely if you have the right amount of sperm (the ideal concentration should be greater than or equal to 20 million).
Now, the causes that can make your sperm not healthy and / or sufficient can be physical or environmental. Among the first, for example, are:
- Varicocele: is a dilated vein (a varicose vein) that appears in the scrotum, which affects the ideal temperature at which the testicles must be maintained to achieve optimal sperm production.
- Testicles that did not descend: when one or both testicles do not descend from the abdomen to the scrotum, during the development of the fetus. This affects sperm production due to the exposure of the testicles to body temperature (which is higher than when they are in the scrotum).
- Defects in the chromosomes that cause abnormal development of the testicles.
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.
- Hormonal disorders, such as the deficiency of male hormones (hypogonadism) .
- Deficiency in the expulsion of sperm caused by problems of erectile dysfunction , retrograde ejaculation (when semen enters the bladder of the man instead of going out through the penis) or obstruction of the semen expulsion channels.
Among the environmental, on the other hand, different lifestyle and health factors in general can be listed, such as the use of alcohol and / or drugs , smoking , age (after 35 years of age, fertility may decrease), the obesity (may cause hormonal changes that affect the ability to conceive) and poor diet.
If you and your partner have tried a pregnancy having regular sex for more than a year without achieving it, it is advisable to visit a specialist who can guide them in relation to the studies necessary to rule out a fertility problem (among which the semen quality) and help them achieve the expected conception.
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