Age affects sperm quality
As age continues to increase, male fertility gradually declines. Compared with women\’s limited number of eggs, men\’s ability to produce sperm is much stronger, but the \”swimming ability\” of older men\’s sperm is getting slower and slower. People generally believe that men can have children even when they are 80 years old. This is a very one-sided understanding. Sperm swimming weakens by about 0.7% with each passing year, and the proportion of sperm abnormalities increases to about 85% when a man is 60 years old.
Temperature affects sperm motility
The growth process of sperm requires low temperature, otherwise the sperm will die prematurely. The scrotum is the \”temperature regulator\” of the testicles. Only when the ambient temperature is 1 to 2°C lower than the body temperature can sperm be produced smoothly. When the temperature is too high, the scrotum will expand the heat dissipation area; and when the temperature drops, it will wrinkle to reduce the heat dissipation area, thereby keeping the temperature of the scrotum lower than the abdominal cavity. Therefore, when men take a bath, the water temperature should not be too high. Taking hot baths frequently can reduce the number of sperm and even lead to infertility. Those who like sauna bathing should exercise caution.
Infertility caused by testicular problems
Human testicles are located in the scrotum, and their temperature is 4 to 7°C lower than the abdominal temperature. At the same time, they are wrinkled. There are a large number of sweat glands distributed in the pleated scrotal skin, which can accelerate heat dissipation through sweat secretion to facilitate sperm production and survival. When most boys are born, the testicles have already descended from the abdominal cavity into the scrotum, while a few gradually descend after birth, but it should not exceed 1 year at the latest. Failure of the testicles to descend into the scrotum as scheduled is called cryptorchidism. Cryptorchidism can be unilateral or bilateral.
The testicles can produce hundreds of millions of sperm every day. Why does it have such great power? Because the testicles have a huge \”sperm manufacturing factory.\” There are hundreds of small, winding tubes in the testicles called seminiferous tubules. Each small tube is less than 1 millimeter in diameter, but it is very long. The combined length of all small tubes is about 250 meters. These tubules are where sperm are produced. The seminiferous epithelium of the seminiferous tubules contains spermatogenic cells. In the process of continuous development, these spermatogenic cells gradually move toward the lumen, and finally break away from the epithelium of the seminiferous tubules and are released into the lumen as mature sperm.
In addition to the spermatogenic function, another important function of the testicles is to secrete male hormones. From the fetal period, the testicles begin to perform endocrine functions to promote male differentiation. If due to congenital deficiencyDefects, insufficient androgen secretion or lack of receptors to accept androgen effects, the fetus will have varying degrees of pseudohermaphroditism. Due to various reasons, insufficient androgen secretion during puberty can cause the delayed appearance, non-appearance or loss of male secondary sex characteristics, and is often accompanied by infertility. At this time, exogenous androgen supplementation is needed to promote the development of internal and external reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics.
Accessory sex gland problems cause infertility
The accessory sex glands are the main glands that produce seminal plasma, including the seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbourethral glands. Seminal plasma is the liquid component of semen. Sperm only contacts the seminal plasma for a few seconds at the moment it is discharged from the body. However, seminal plasma has an important impact on sperm transport and physiological functions. Many accessory sex gland diseases can cause infertility. The common ones are prostatitis and seminal vesiculitis.
Chronic prostatitis is a common disease among adult men. The main cause of chronic prostatitis is bacterial infection. Secondly, excessive sexual intercourse, frequent masturbation, alcohol abuse or cold exposure can lead to prostate congestion, glandular duct obstruction and glandular hypofunction. The clinical manifestations of the disease are diverse and often change. Abnormal urination, such as urgency, frequency, painful urination, or difficulty urinating. Painful urination may radiate to the perineum and around the anus, and may even be accompanied by lumbosacral pain; sexual dysfunction may occur, such as loss of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and spermatorrhea. . Severe chronic prostatitis can lead to male infertility.
Scrotal Problems Cause Infertility
The scrotum is a continuation of the abdominal wall. It forms a cyst-like structure with a septum in the middle dividing it into left and right chambers. The two testicles are located in the scrotum on both sides. The main function of the scrotum is to regulate temperature. The scrotal skin has many wrinkles. When it relaxes, it plays the role of heat dissipation and cooling; when it contracts, it plays the role of heating and insulation. Because the scrotal skin is rich in sweat glands, it has a strong temperature-regulating ability, which is conducive to the production of sperm by the spermatogenic epithelium of the testicles. The protection of the scrotum also protects the testicles, epididymis and spermatic cord from trauma. However, when the scrotum is abnormal, it can also affect the spermatogenic function of the testicles.
There is a sheath formed by two layers of peritoneum under the scrotal skin. Under normal circumstances, there is a small amount of fluid between the two layers of membrane, which can reduce the friction of the testicles when they move within the scrotum. Due to inflammation, trauma, lymphatic vessel obstruction and other factors, the amount of fluid in the vaginal membrane can increase and form a cystic mass, which is called hydrocele. Some children are born with congenital hydrocele. Congenital hydrocele sometimes resolves without treatment, and sometimes requires surgical treatment.
Located within the scrotum, veins from the epididymis and vas deferens merge to form the spermatic vein. When varicocele occurs, it can affect the blood return of the testicles, thereby affecting the testicular nutrition and oxygen supply, as well as the discharge of metabolites, and at the same time increasing the local temperature of the testicles. Therefore, it has adverse effects on testicular metabolism and spermatogenesis. In some patients it can cause infertility. For obvious varicocele, high ligation is the main treatment method. Varicocele shunting or venous embolization can also be performed. The semen quality of many patients after treatmentImproved, fertility restored. Of course, some patients still have good fertility, so don\’t be nervous about having this disease. In fact, a considerable number of men suffer from varicocele of varying degrees. As for whether and how to treat it, you can decide after discussing it with your doctor.
Infertility caused by the size of the penis and testicles
As long as the penis develops normally and can have a normal erection, you can have a good sex life and it will not affect men Fertility. Some people always suspect that their penis is small. In fact, the size after erection is normal. Some people are worried about the thickness of their penis. The female vagina is very elastic and can accommodate it completely.
What needs attention is the size and texture of the testicles. From birth to 12 years old before puberty, the testicles are in a relatively quiescent period, with a general volume of 1 to 4 ml. After that, the testicular volume increases rapidly, with the testicular volume of adult males ranging from 16 to 25 ml, with an average of 19.8 ml. After the age of 60, the testicular volume gradually increases. Zoom out. If the testicular volume of men of childbearing age is less than 15 ml, it shows damage to the seminiferous epithelium of the testicles. Usually, small testicles with a volume of no more than 3 ml are more common in Klinefelter syndrome; patients with testicles between 5 and 12 ml may have hypogonadotropic hypogonadism; when the asymmetrical testicular enlargement is obvious, it indicates testicular tumors; Symmetrical enlargement of the testicles can be called macrorchidism, which is normal but rare. The texture of the testicles should also be taken into consideration. Normal testicles are elastic when lightly pressed. If the testicles feel soft when lightly pressed, it is often accompanied by damage to the spermatogenic function, which can affect male fertility, and you should seek medical treatment in time.
This article is provided by Baidu Reading and is excerpted from \”The Clear \”Conception\” Plan\” Author: Sun Jianqiu and Xie Yingbiao