What is Oligospermia and How to Treat It?

Are you having problems with too little sperm amount? It might be that you have oligospermia. Oligospermia is a condition in which too few sperm are released during ejaculation. This is usually the leading cause of infertility in a man. Therefore, oligospermia must be appropriately treated.

Not all men who release a tiny sperm amount can be said to have oligospermia. A person can have oligospermia if the sperm count is less than 15 million per 1 ml of semen. If you experience this thing, then the chance for the man to have children will decrease.

It should also be known that oligospermia varies in severity. The more severe the oligospermia suffered, the less likely the man will have children and vice versa. The following are the degrees of oligospermia that you need to know.

• Mild oligospermia, if the sperm count is 10-15 million per ml
• Moderate oligospermia, if the sperm count is 5-10 million per ml
• Severe oligospermia, if the sperm count is 0-5 million per ml

Factors Causing Oligospermia

Several factors cause oligospermia, including medical, environmental, and lifestyle factors. For more details about these various factors, see the full review below.

Medical Factors

Several medical factors can cause oligospermia, that are:

• Varicocele or enlarged veins in the scrotum. This condition affects the control of testicular  temperature so that when the testicular temperature increases, the quality and the amount of sperm will decrease
• There are problems with erection or retrograde ejaculation. This is a condition when semen enters the bladder instead of leaving the penis during ejaculation
• Sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and HIV
• The existence of tumours, both benign and malignant tumours. This condition can affect the hormones that manage sperm production, which makes the sperm amount less
• Having genetic disorders such as Klinefelter syndrome, fibrosis, cystic, Kallmann syndrome and also Kartagener syndrome
• Use of drugs such as testosterone therapy, use of anabolic steroids, chemotherapy and antifungal medications and antibiotics
• Postoperative effects of vasectomy, inguinal hernia, prostate, scrotum and testicular surgery
• Existence of other medical conditions such as hormonal imbalance, celiac disease, chromosomal disorders, and tubular defects

Environment Factors

Several environmental factors can also cause oligospermia to watch out for, that is:

• Exposure to heavy metals and industrial chemicals, such as benzene, toluene, xylene, pesticides, organic solvents, and herbicides
• Exposure to high levels of radiation or x-ray examination

Lifestyle Factor

An unhealthy lifestyle can also be a cause of oligospermia in men. Some of them are:

• Drug use such as cocaine and marijuana
• Smoking habit
• Frequent consumption of alcohol in excess
• Experiencing emotional stress and prolonged depression
• Prolonged use of a sauna or hot bath
• Obese or overweight
• Sitting for too long, often wearing tight clothes and working on one’s lap. These three habits can increase the temperature in the scrotum which can cause oligospermia.

Read more: Benefits of Avocado for Men that are Rarely Known

How To Treat Oligospermia

Oligospermia has to be treated correctly to not escalate to a more severe degree. If the right action is taken, a wife with an oligospermic husband can get pregnant, and it is not impossible. How to treat oligospermia depends on the underlying cause. The objective of this treatment method is to increase the amount and quality of sperm so that the chances of having children will be greater.

Below are some types of oligospermia treatment that you need to know.

Sexual Problem Treatment

Oligospermia is caused by sexual dysfunctions such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. This condition can be treated using medication, counselling or a combination of those two steps.

Infection Treatment

The following way to overcome oligospermia is to overcome the infection in the reproductive tract that causes oligospermia. However, it should be understood that excessive use of antibiotics can cause hypospermia.

This makes the amount of sperm more so that the chances of getting children will be greater. However, antibiotics cannot increase fertility if the damage caused by the infection is already permanent.

Drugs Consumption and Hormone Therapy

Giving drugs and hormone therapy can also be done by doctors to overcome the problem of oligospermia. This can be done if the cause of oligospermia is an imbalance of hormone levels in the male body. Giving these drugs aims to balance hormones so that sperm production can be increased.

Surgery Action

The last way to overcome the problem of oligospermia is to perform surgery. This action can be done if the cause of oligospermia is the existence of a varicocele or blockage of the channel through where the sperm passes. Suppose the sperm level in men is too low, then the sperm retrieval for artificial insemination can be done by surgery.

Read more: No Worries.This Is Why You’re Still Not Pregnant After Marriage

Tips to Increase the Chances of Conception for Patients with Oligospermia

Patients with oligospermia still have the chance to have children. Besides taking oligospermia drugs at pharmacies to increase sperm amount, there are some tips that you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Have sex regularly

To increase the chances of pregnancy, oligospermia patients can have sex regularly with their partner every day or every two days. You can also schedule sex activities according to your wife’s fertility date. The more often you have sex, the greater your chances of getting pregnant.

You can do this if your doctor has not diagnosed necrozoospermia. Necrozoospermia is a medical term that describes when sperm dies and cannot fertilize an egg.

Live a healthy lifestyle

Another tip to increase the chances of pregnancy for patients with oligospermia is to have a healthy lifestyle. The way is to meet a balanced nutritional intake, exercise regularly, reduce alcoholic drinks and stop smoking. Starting a healthy lifestyle is essential if you already have the characteristics of oligospermia.

Read more: Here’s How To Improve Sperm Quality To Get Pregnant Fast

Consume natural supplements

Several types of natural supplements such as ginseng, folic acid and black cumin are believed to increase the quality and amount of sperm. By consuming this supplement, the chances of getting pregnant are more outstanding. If consumed regularly, oligospermia may be cured. But, make sure you continue to consult with your doctor to be safe.

Patients with oligospermia make their chances of having children decrease. But, with an oligospermic pregnancy program that is done correctly, it is possible that pregnancy can occur. So don’t despair first, do a check-up so that this condition can be handled.

For a man, it is essential to understand the signs and differences between azoospermia and oligospermia. So, for couples who have tried to have children for a long time but have not succeeded, check with a doctor immediately because you may have oligospermia which must be treated, so it doesn’t get worse.

That’s all the important review about oligospermia that you need to know. For a man, it is essential to maintain fertility and sperm quality. Try to avoid factors that can cause oligospermia to make it easier to have children. It should be noted that oligospermia is a fertility problem that could be cured, so you still have a chance of having children if treated correctly.