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Posts Tagged ‘Sperm Counts’

Men + Cell Phones Equals… Male Infertility?

Friday, June 24th, 2011

There are many reasons that people eschew adopting technology, including heavy cell phone usage. First, it can be quite risky to use a cell phone during driving. It can also be socially rude to sit in company chatting or texting… all the while avoiding one’s companions! And some medical professionals are even saying that it can have a significant impact male infertility.

A recent study on men who were talking on their cell phones an “excessive” amount of time showed higher-than-normal levels of testosterone and lower levels of LH, a reproductive hormone. Thus, their sperm counts (and amount of healthy sperm) were significantly decreased, enough to cause male infertility in some.

The problem, according to Queen’s University, Australia, researchers appears to be abnormal testosterone levels associated with very high cell phone usage. Of course, why this is happening isn’t cut and dry. That’s why studies are being conducted across the globe to address the strange phenomenon. After all, it could be that men with naturally higher testosterone levels engage in more intense cell phone usage than their counterparts with lower testosterone levels.

Until it’s clear whether or not cell phones are, indeed, a contributing factor to male infertility, it may be a good idea to follow these simple guidelines, which are safety-first anyway:

1. If you cannot be free from your cell phone, you may have the beginnings of a problem or true addiction. Take breaks from being “on call” 24/7, as it will be good for your mental health, if nothing else!

2. Don’t keep your cell phone in your front pocket or on your lap. Some research has shown that low levels of radiation are emitted from cell phones; thus, they should be kept far away from genitalia.

3. If you’re having trouble with male infertility, don’t stop using your cell phone, but do ask your fertility specialist if he or she thinks it could be a problem. Not all will agree with the researchers, but it’s worth considering every possibility.

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Male Fertility Linked to Bone Construction

Monday, February 28th, 2011

In the past decade or so, the realization has come about that bones are more than simply a structure to hold our organs, muscles and skin. There are in fact correlations to the internal make-up of bones and energy metabolism as well as reproduction. It is well-known that there is a connection between menopause and osteoporosis in women. Thus, it came a surprise to Gerald Karsenty and his colleagues at Columbia University in New York City that their study with mice showed a relationship between bone cells and sperm production in male mice, yet no effect (at this time) on any female reproductive aspects.

To break the study down, osteocalcin is a hormone contained in osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are bone cells that partake in building new bone cells. In this study, the researchers took osteoblasts and combined them with cell cultures from either testes or ovaries of mice. The results showed a great increase in testosterone in the testis cells but no reaction or change in hormones in the ovary cells due to the introduction of the osteoblasts. Given these results, the researchers went on to inject osteoblasts into the blood stream of male mice, which resulted in increased production of testosterone in the blood stream. To further specify their testing, the researchers took a batch of male mice and removed their gene for osteocalcin. The mice without osteocalcin had smaller testes, lower sperm counts and smaller litter sizes when bred than normal male mice.

Though this study has only been performed on mice at this time, Karsenty has strong feelings that the hormone osteocalcin may play a factor in fertilty in men and believes that it could possibly be used in the future in treatments for male infertilty.

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Men – Could Antioxidants Help Combat Fertility Issues?

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

Male infertility is a topic that’s becoming more mainstream in the media as well as widespread in terms of how it’s being studied.  Consequently, there’s a growing amount of evidence (both anecdotal and some scientific) that antioxidants may indeed help men dealing with fertility issues.

 

New Zealand scientists have been conducting studies on the topic of how to assist men with their fertility problems.  As a result, they have developed a theory that taking antioxidants (e.g., vitamin E, zinc) can help guys dealing with male infertility.

 

To be sure, the men that were studied were not entirely infertile.  They had sperm healthy enough to fertilize an egg, but their sperm counts were lower than normal.  However, when they began to take doses of antioxidants, their sperm counts increased.  The New Zealand researchers have suggested this is proof that their theory is sound; other scientists aren’t convinced.

 

So… does this mean it’s time for men to OD on antioxidants? 

 

Not really. 

 

But even if the hypothesis is hogwash, men with male infertility can and will still benefit from taking better care of themselves… and that may just include adding appropriate amounts of antioxidants into their daily diets.

 

FYI… 10 FOODS HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS

 

Apples

Plums

Blueberries

Red kidney beans

Pinto beans

Cherries

Pecans

Artichokes (cooked)

Cranberries

Russet potatoes

 

 

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SpermCheck Helps Men Gauge Sperm Count at Home

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

dad-with-babyStraight from the University of Virginia comes a home test that might just make it easier for men with fertility concerns to gauge their sperm counts from the comfort of their own homes.

Called SpermCheck Fertility, the University of Virginia’s new technology has received FDA approval and should be available in pharmacies in late 2010. 

SpermCheck Fertility requires only a few drops of semen in order to test sperm count and has been deemed to be relatively accurate overall. 

This is an amazing breakthrough in helping males dealing with fertility issues, as it gives them a greater power.  It will be interesting to see how it’s used over the next year or so…

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  • Mumps and Infertility

    Thursday, April 8th, 2010

    The “mumps”, a disease characterized that’s been all-but-eradicated in the United States and Europe, the condition is making a comeback in teen boys in the British Isles.  This has proven worrisome for doctors who have connected mumps in teens with serious problems including infertility

    The surge is the result of a shortage of the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine (MMR) during the ’90s.  Many children at the time did not receive inoculation; thus, they are experiencing a “teen” version of the mumps, known as mumps orchitis. 

    This type of mumps causes painful swelling of the testicles, ultimately leaving some with lowered sperm counts.  And a small percentage are left unable to have children.

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  • Frequency of Sex May Be Linked to Fertility in Males

    Friday, July 3rd, 2009

    tn_loveroseIn a recent Times of London article, Australian researchers announced that the key to boosting men’s sperm counts might lie in the number of times they have sex each week or month.

    According to a study, males who had sex every other day had a more substantial sperm count than those who did not.  This seems to contradict the age-old notion that for men to boost their sperm count and quality, several days’ abstinence is needed.

    Obviously, each couple’s fertility issues are unique; however, as the researchers of the study noted, having sex every other day probably isn’t going to harm sperm counts.  Additionally, it could be a good way to release any built-up stress between partners struggling with infertility.