Features Short Story Baby Names Festivals Brain Tonic Think About It Laugh 'n' Laugh Quotations Health & Beauty Beauty Doctor's Desk Home Maker Kitchen Tips 'n' Tricks Careers work@home Writing A Resume Skill Set Resume Content Archives Home Doctor's Desk How To Enhance Your Fertility (and help to ensure a healthier baby, too) cont..... What Can Hurt Your Fertility And Your Chances Of Fathering A Healthy Child? Your fertility is often a reflection of your general health. If you are healthy and abide by principles of good healthy living, chances are your sperm will also be healthy, provided you haven't sustained permanent damage to your sperm-making equipment in the past (through trauma or infection, for instance), or weren't born with a disorder or structural problem that could prevent you from producing viable sperm. The following list of "threats" to male fertility, while certainly not all-inclusive, will help you to avoid injurious substances, situations, and behaviors: Smoking (smoking significantly decreases both sperm count and the liveliness of sperm cells) Prolonged use of marijuana Use of other "recreational" drugs (e.g., cocaine) Chronic alcohol abuse Use of anabolic steroids (which can cause testicular shrinkage and infertility) Overly intense exercise (excessive exercise may lower your sperm count by producing higher levels of adrenal steroid hormones, which lower the amount of testosterone in the body. This testosterone deficiency, in turn, decreases sperm production) Inadequate vitamin C and zinc in the diet Some groups of antibiotics (e.g., nitrofurans and macrolides) - The antidiarrheal drug sulfasalazine - The anti-fungal medication ketoconazole. Azulfidine, a drug used to treat ulcerative colitis - Varicocele (a varicose vein in the testicle that produces too much heat, which harms and kills sperm) Infections of reproductive system structures, such as prostatitis, epididymitis, and orchitis Infectious diseases that affect the testes, such as mumps in adulthood Trauma or injury to the testes Exposure to DES (diethylstilbestrol) during your mother's pregnancy, which can cause testicular and epididymal abnormalities and decreased sperm production Fevers Tight underwear or jogging pants Hot tubs, saunas..anything that raises the temperature of your scrotum, including overheated vehicles and hot work environments A testosterone deficiency Exposure to environmental hazards such as pesticides, lead, paint, radiation (x- ray), radioactive substances, mercury, benzene, boron, and heavy metals Chemotherapeutic (cancer-treating) agents A blockage or structural abnormality in the vas deferens Damage to the spermatic ducts, usually due to a sexually transmitted disease such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Also, passing a sexually transmitted infection onto your partner may render her infertile Malnutrition and anemia Tuberculosis Excessive stress Can Damaged Sperm Result In Birth Defects? Researchers now suspect that reproduction and fetal development may be affected if the biological father has been exposed to lifestyle or occupation hazards, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, taking non-prescribed drugs, and being exposed to toxic chemicals. Good Advice For Couples Trying To Conceive: Stop smoking, drinking, doing drugs, and taking any unnecessary medications at least three months before you start working on getting pregnant. Scientists used to believe that if sperm were damaged, they could not fertilize an egg; therefore, only the "fittest" sperm would carry on the species - some call this the "macho sperm" theory. Research now shows sperm are vulnerable and that even when damaged, they may still fertilize an egg. Some toxins may alter the sperm's chromosomes, which carry genetic information. If this happens, the results may range from infertility and miscarriage to stillbirth, birth defects, learning disabilities, and even childhood leukemia and kidney cancer. It is therefore wise for men who want to have children to change unhealthy lifestyle habits and, when possible, protect themselves from hazards and toxins in the environment and workplace. Sperm develop over a three-month period; that means your mature sperm today may have been affected by how you lived 3 months ago. The message: if you plan to have a child, quit smoking, drinking, using recreational drugs, etc., and wait three months before trying to conceive a child with your partner. «« previous page click here to send us us feedback.     Contact Us¤Privacy Statement