Infertility is diagnosed when one fails to conceive after a period of a year or more of unprotected sexual intercourse. Normally women above the ages of 35 who haven’t been able to conceive after trying for 6 months or so or not able to carry pregnancy for full term are diagnosed for infertility. However, the struggles of having a child is not just restricted to women. Men play an equally key role as well. One-third of infertility problems are attributable to men
A variety of male related health issues have been diagnosed that could lead to infertility. These could be physiological, medication related, life style and the like. Age is the biggest factor of all and has a direct relation to infertility. Older the person, the higher the chances of infertility. When it comes to bodily conditions, the quality of sperm is of utmost importance. Factors such as sperm count or number of sperm, shape of the sperm, movement of the sperm and its effective production influence one’s fertility. When sperm is not grown fully, is oddly shaped or not move the right way, it can lead to infertility. Also, when the sperm is very low in number (Oligospermia) or lack of any sperm at all (Azoospermia), infertility can be a resultant. Other than the sperm, certain other bodily conditions involving related organs can lead to infertility. There may be other conditions such as, retrograde ejaculation (muscle contraction failure leading to ejaculate semen entering the bladder instead of emerging through the penis), Varicocele (swelling of veins around the testicles), Lack of testacles descending into the scrotum or Hormonal imbalance such as low testosterone production. Diabetes, neurological disorders and pituitary diseases also contribute to infertility
At times, habits and lifestyle contribute to lack of ability to conceive. These include excessive intake of alcohol, tobacco consumption through smoking, use of other recreational drugs, being stressed, being overweight and exposure to environmental conditions such as toxins and, pesticides. These elements can affect the quality of sperm. Other than age and inherent physiology, certain medical conditions and treatments availed for those conditions could also result in infertility. Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy used in cancer treatment, certain medications such as Sulfasalazine used in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure, antidepressants, and anabolic steroid usage by athletes could lead to infertility.
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Diagnosis of these problems are usually performed by an expert and yet again a variety of tools are used for the same. Experts usually begin by taking medical history of overall health, sexual history and even perform a physical examination to begin with and check for structural abnormalities or any sort of lumps. One of the most commonly used forms of test is the Semen Analysis which reports the condition of the quality of sperm – number, shape and motility of the sperm. Based on the results, additional tests could also be performed to diagnose any other additional problems. For this, hormone profiling, genital/ transrectal ultrasound, testicular biopsy or a genetic testing could be carried out. Other procedures such as Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE), Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA) and others are employed.
Typically, the treatment depends on the cause of infertility – whether it is genetic, due to a medical condition, resulting from a medical treatment, hormonal or otherwise. Infertility treatment can accordingly range from simple medication to hormone therapy, surgery or assisted reproductive technology. Surgeries help fix conditions such as varicocele and other obstructions. ART treatments can be used in cases where sperm is required to be retrieved from the testicles. These are in other terms known as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Hormone therapy is used for any hormonal imbalances or sometimes even medication, which aid in curing erectile dysfunction or infections that affect sperm count.
At times, a simple lifestyle management could help prevent any serious conditions. Eating right, exercising to keep one’s weight in check, avoiding over abuse of recreational drugs are all very important. Ingestion of a range of vitamin and mineral tablets including Folate, Zinc, Vitamin C and E and Iron is also recommended.
However, for conditions such as Infertility, it is advisable to consult a medical expert and one such centre that offers excellent state-of-the-art treatment facilities is the Janisthaa Fertility Clinic & Hospital in Bangalore. With success rates of over 55%, Dr. Shwetha and her team of staff offer comprehensive, personalized plans to realize one’s parenthood dreams come true! In these trying times, the clinic offers online consultations as well. Appointments can be booked by visiting the website Janisthaa or calling +91 7619198086
