Post Date December, 03 2023
The decline in sperm quality has led to an increasing number of patients seeking medical attention due to male infertility. Some of the reasons for the decline in sperm quality are congenital or acquired diseases, while others are caused by human factors in life.
Top 10 factors that cause sperm quality to plummet
1. Drugs
There are many drug users in our country, and some drugs, such as marijuana and cocaine, have an impact on semen quality. Cannabis can reduce the level of male hormones in the blood and sperm density, causing male breast development; Cocaine can reduce sperm density. Sperm quality is a major issue related to human survival and reproduction. For these factors, on the one hand, we should take high vigilance, pay attention to and avoid them in a timely manner; On the other hand, we should also appeal to all forces of the whole society to improve our living environment. Otherwise, it would be like the American scholar Theo? As Colburn said in "Our Stolen Future," infertility may become a widespread epidemic, and future men may lose their fertility completely
2. Vehicle exhaust
Car exhaust contains many harmful substances, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, and so on. Prolonged exposure to these substances can cause cumulative damage to the human body, not only affecting reproductive health, but also potentially increasing the incidence of diseases such as tumors. The most serious thing is that dioxins contained in car exhaust are extremely strong environmental endocrine disrupting substances, which can cause changes in the morphology of men's testicles, reduce the number of sperm, and reduce their ability to produce sperm.
3. Tobacco and alcohol
Smoking has always been a major enemy of physical health, with an equally significant impact on semen. Foreign studies have shown for a long time that compared with non smokers, the main indicators of semen quality in smokers significantly decreased, the sperm deformity rate increased, and the number of white blood cells in semen increased. Nicotine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons produced in tobacco can cause testicular atrophy and sperm morphological changes. Alcohol has a direct impact on the human liver and male testicles. Research has found that patients with chronic alcoholism may experience testicular atrophy, leading to decreased semen quality. Therefore, men must avoid frequent excessive drinking.
4. Estrogen
Estrogen can have a significant impact on the male reproductive system, including affecting the level of male hormones, triggering changes in testicular tissue structure, causing testicular cancer, reducing the number of sperm in semen, causing male breast development, and causing endocrine disorders. Short-term use of drugs containing estrogen by men does not have a significant impact on the reproductive system, but long-term exposure to substances containing estrogen in life can cause significant harm to reproductive health. For example, some men casually use female cosmetics when caring for their skin. Some of these cosmetics specially developed for women contain certain estrogen, which can cause damage to male reproductive health and lower gonadal function if used for a long time.
5. Trace Elements
The main trace elements related to male fertility include zinc, selenium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and so on. Zinc is an important element in the reproductive system. Zinc deficiency will affect the development of male reproductive organs and secondary sexual characteristics in adolescence, reduce sperm activity, weaken the immune function of the body, and make men prone to prostatitis, epididymitis and other infectious diseases. Selenium deficiency can increase the concentration of peroxides in the body, causing damage to the male reproductive system and testicles. Therefore, men should generally eat foods with higher levels of zinc and selenium, such as milk, black rice, black beans, and corn.
6. Temperature
High temperature can cause damage to the testicles, but there is still debate in the academic community about how high the temperature and how long exposure to this temperature will affect the testicles. In animal experiments, when male animals are exposed to 38.5 ° C for 55 minutes, their fertility decreases. In real life, men should try to avoid staying in high temperature environments for too long, such as taking a sauna or soaking in hot water.
7. Drugs
Drugs such as anticancer drugs, antibiotics, and hormones can damage the function of the male gonads, causing a decrease in the number and quality of sperm, or causing sexual dysfunction by affecting the endocrine function of the gonads. The impact of drugs on male fertility is influenced by factors such as the type of drug, course of treatment, patient's age, and dose. Generally, the larger the dose, the longer the course of treatment, and the younger the patient are, the more serious the damage to reproductive function will be, and the longer it will take to restore reproductive function. Currently, there is a proliferation of sexual health products in society, with some containing sexual hormones or similar ingredients that may affect the normal spermatogenic function of the testicles. Unmarried and childless people should be particularly careful when choosing.
8. Noise
With the development of modernization, the impact of urban noise on health has become more prominent. Noise is a type of environmental pollution. In recent years, some experts have proposed the theory of "environmental hormones", pointing out that there are chemicals in the environment that can affect human endocrine functions like hormones, and noise is one of them. It can cause endocrine disorders in the human body, causing abnormalities in semen and sperm. Prolonged noise pollution can cause male infertility; For women, it can cause miscarriage and fetal malformations.
9. Radiation
Radiation has definite effects on human health. High doses of radiation can cause changes in testicular tissue structure, increase sperm deformity rates, and reduce important indicators such as sperm number and sperm density. However, there is no definitive research result on whether low doses of radiation can cause infertility. Whether the electronic devices we use daily, such as mobile phones and computers, can cause infertility is highly controversial in the academic community. Therefore, men should generally minimize exposure to radiation sources, but do not need to be overly stressed.
10. Food packaging and cosmetics
A recent press release from the German Research Association said that the decrease in the number of male sperm worldwide over the past few decades may be related to a chemical called phthalates. Phthalates are a class of chemicals that can play a softening role. It is widely used in hundreds of products such as toys, vinyl flooring, nail polish, soap, lubricant, hair spray, food packaging, detergent, shampoo and wallpaper. Studies have shown that phthalates can interfere with the endocrine system, reducing the number of sperm in men, reducing their ability to exercise, causing abnormal morphology, and even causing testicular cancer, making them the "culprit" for male reproductive problems.
Among cosmetics, nail polish has the highest phthalate content. It can enter the body through the respiratory system and skin of women, harming the reproductive system of male babies they will have in the future
Phthalates also enter the human body through food and water packaged in plastic containers, such as the inner coating of food cans, recyclable milk, and mineral water bottles. Research shows that foods with higher fat content in canned foods are more likely to be contaminated, such as pork, sardine, anchovies, etc. Fetuses, infants, and adolescent children are the most sensitive to it, and their health is also the most vulnerable.
In order to reduce the harm of phthalates to human body, it is better not to use foam plastic containers to soak instant noodles, and do not use plastic containers containing PVC to heat food in microwave ovens. The correct approach is to heat food in heat-resistant glass or ceramic containers.
