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Men - What You Do On A Daily Basis Affects Your Sperm Maturation
Process
While a woman is born with all the eggs she'll ever have, men produce
sperm on a continual basis. Therefore, what a man does on a daily
basis can affect the sperm maturation process.
Smoking, drinking, drugs, stress, poor nutrition and lack of exercise
all can contribute to poor sperm quality. And, it was recently discovered,
a man's sperm quality begins to decline around the age of 25.
There are five main factors that contribute to overall sperm quality.
They include sperm motility, speed, count, concentration and morphology
(shape and size).
A weakness in any of these areas can affect the chances of conception.
Motility
Sperm motility is a term that describes sperm's ability to move
in an active fashion: in other words, are the sperm "strong
swimmers?" In healthy sperm, typically more than 50% are active
with over 25% moving forcefully in one direction. Motility enables
the sperm to travel through the cervical canal, into the uterus
and the fallopian tubes and, finally, to penetrate the egg.
Using the Berkley Center's unique combined protocol which includes
acupuncture, herbal medicine and the correct supplements (we highly
recommend Proxeed)
Speed
The forward movement of sperm called progressive motility, forward
progression or rapid linear progression. There are also several
different ways to classify forward movement.
According to the World Health Organization (1999), in a healthy
male, greater than 25% of sperm will exhibit progressive motility.
It is thought that these are the sperm with the best chance of successfully
fertilizing an egg.
Rapid linear progression showed a greater than 60 % improvement
after four months of treatment with acupuncture, herbal medicine
and supplements.
Sperm Count
Sperm count refers to the number of sperm in the fluid that is
ejaculated (semen). There are over 40 million sperm in a normal
ejaculate. A total count below 40 million may indicate decreased
fertility.
With the Berkley Center's unique protocol of acupuncture, herbal
medicine and supplements, count increased more than 14 % after four
months of treatment.
Concentration
Concentration is a measure of the number of sperm cells in a
milliliter of semen. Normal concentration is at least 20 million
sperm cells per milliliter of semen.
With the Berkley Center's unique protocol combining acupuncture,
herbal medicine and the appropriate supplements, concentration improved
after four months of treatment.
Morphology (shape and size)
A healthy sperm cell will have a shape similar to a tadpole. The
sperm's oval head contains the genetic material, the center provides
energy and the tail propels the sperm forward.
Using the strict criteria put forth by the World Health Organization
(1999), studies of Assisted Reproductive Technology programs show
lower pregnancy rates with less than 15% normal forms. Furthermore,
experts believe that abnormally shaped sperm cannot fertilize an
egg.
Subfertility
The term, subfertility, refers to couples that are unable to achieve
conception after a year of unprotected intercourse (or 6 months
if the woman is over age 35). It is different from infertility.
A subfertile couple merely has lower odds of conceiving during any
given month than fertile couples.
Statistics at a glance
- Human reproduction is surprisingly inefficient
and quite complex -- the likelihood of pregnancy within any given
month is believed to be only 25 percent among fertile couples.
- 1 out of 12 couples have subfertility.
- Male-related factors account for 40 percent
of subfertility. Female-related factors account for another 40
percent and a combination of male- and female-related factors
account for about 20 percent.
- About 90% of all subfertility can be
traced to specific causes that can be treated.
Typical causes of male subfertility
- Sperm production problems
- Blockages in the sperm's delivery system
- Injuries to the testicles
- Low or high hormone production
- Anatomical problems
- Varicocele (varicose veins around the testicle)
- Past illnesses/infections/various diseases
- Certain medications
Sperm quality
Sperm quality is a contributing factor for 40 percent of couples
experiencing infertility. There are five main factors that contribute
to sperm quality:
- Motility: The ability to move in an active fashion.
In healthy sperm, typically more than 50% are active with over
25% moving forcefully in one direction. Motility is what enables
a sperm to travel up the cervical canal, into the uterus and the
fallopian tubes and, finally, penetrate the egg.
- Speed: Progressive motility. In a healthy male,
greater than 25% of sperm will exhibit progressive motility. It
is thought that these are the sperm with the best chance of successfully
fertilizing an egg.
- Count: The number of sperm in the fluid that
is ejaculated (semen). There are over 40 million sperm in a normal
ejaculate. A total count below 40 million may indicate decreased
fertility.
- Concentration: A measure of the number of sperm
cells in a milliliter of semen. Normal concentration is at least
20 million sperm cells per milliliter of semen.
- Morphology: The shape and size of the sperm.
A healthy sperm cell will have a shape similar to a tadpole. The
sperm's oval head contains the genetic material, the center provides
energy and the tail propels the sperm forward. Using the strict
criteria put forth by the World Health Organization (1999), studies
show lower pregnancy rates with less than 15% normal forms. Furthermore,
experts believe that abnormally shaped sperm cannot fertilize
an egg.
Motility, speed and morphology appear to be the most important
factors to assess the fertilizing capability of sperm. Despite a
low sperm count, many men with high-quality (viable and highly mobile)
sperm, may still be fertile.
Sources: Infertility: The Male Factor, Lipshultz, M.D., Professor
of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Understanding
Fertility Problems, Krames Communications
At the Berkley Center For Reproductive Wellness & Women's Health we have been treating
male factor fertility disorders since 1996 with amazing results.
By combining acupuncture, herbal medicine and supplements we have
been able to effectively enhance and improve the quality of sperm.
Not only does the count, morphology and motility improve but sperm
fragmentation is often successfully treated.
Another excellent application of the Berkley Center's protocol
is varicocelectomy recovery. One of the causes of lack of improvement
in sperm quality and count after a varicocelectomy is due to a lack
of blood flow to the testicles. The proper application of acupuncture,
herbal medicine and supplements has been shown to successfully enhance
blood flow to the testicles and facilitate healing and significant
improvement after varicocelectomy.
Schedule your consultation by calling 212-399-3575.
And sign up more information on increasing your overall sperm quality:
To learn more about Male Factor go
here.
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