Male Factor Infertility
What is Male Factor Infertility?
Male factor infertility is infertility resulting from an issue in the male partner. Studies show that 40% of infertility is the result of female factors, 40% of the time is a result of male factors, and 20% of the time the result of a combination of both. If you as a couple are experiencing difficulties getting pregnant, male factor infertility is important to consider.
Male factor infertility involves:
- Low sperm count
- Sperm morphology
- Sperm mortility
Treatment
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
Acupuncture can help men with sexual health. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are well known for improving men’s sexual performance; in fact, there have been medical textbooks devoted to the subject. Chinese Emperors took their sexual health quite seriously and would consult with a team of physicians if they experienced any difficulties in the bedroom.
Acupuncture can positively affect a man’s virility by increasing sperm quality and quantity and can be seen after three months of treatment. Male infertility accounts for 35-40% of problems among couples trying to conceive. Fortunately sperm regenerate in a constant cycle occurring every 70-90 days, which means that sperm can become more viable with the proper treatment and lifestyle changes.
Nutrition and Diet
Most of the time a healthy lifestyle equals healthy sperm and this is because sperm, like other cells in the body, receive the same nutrients and toxins that are ingested. When a man is taking care of himself by eating properly he is providing proper nutrients making his sperm virile. When a man has an partakes in unhealthy life style choices such as excessively drinking alcohol, smoking, or doing drugs this has a negative impact on his virility making him infertile. However making changes by quitting bad habits and incorporating healthier foods into the diet can positively impact a man’s fertility.
Making healthier choices maybe all a man needs to do to change his fertility status. This is because as stated earlier sperm is regenerated every 70-90 days allowing newer healthier sperm to take the place of unhealthy sperm. One way to improve the health of your sperm is by switching to organic food this will decrease the amounts of toxins and hormonal additives that have no business being in your food.
Other nutrients that improve a male’s fertility include:
Vitamin A: Green leafy vegetables, carrots, bananas, eggs
Vitamin B6: green leafy vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, nuts, seeds, legumes
Vitamin B12: eggs, beef, turkey, lamb, salmon, sardines
Folic acid: green leafy vegetables, broccoli, root vegetables, whole grains, salmon
Vitamin C: citrus fruits, strawberries, mangoes, kiwi, tomato, sweet peppers, spinach
Vitamin E: cold pressed oils, eggs, avocado, sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds
Selenium: bran, whole grains, sesame seeds, tuna, herring
Manganese: green leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, whole grains, nuts, legumes
Lifestyle and Mind-Body Medicine
In addition to acupuncture and nutrition, learning relaxation techniques are greatly beneficial to general health and wellbeing. Chronic, or acute, lifestyle stress can have a wide variety of negative effects on the body, including reproductive organ blood flow and hormone regulation. Physical and psychological stress can make existing symptoms worse and delay overall internal healing.
Techniques that elicit the relaxation response (a state of deep relaxation in which the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate decrease, muscle tension relaxes, stress hormone levels fall, and the mind becomes tranquil), and relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga may aid greatly in bringing balance to mental and emotional states. Practicing focused deep-breathing, meditation, yoga, tai-chi and other activities are among those that can increase your chances of a healthy life and pregnancy. Listening to music, focused breathing, or being outside in nature are also effective methods of managing stress.
