Young
men who are not yet thinking of raising a family sometimes take things
too far. They engage in some risky behaviours that not only jeopardise
their health but the health of their spèrm also.
This
is not to say it’s only young men that unwittingly toy with their
spèrm’s health. Adult men do, too, by making unhealthy and unwise life
choices that may make it difficult or, sometimes, impossible, to
impregnate a woman.
But how can a man mess up his spèrm’s health?
In
no particular order, one of the problems has to do with the temperature
that the male sex organ is exposed to. Have you noticed the dressing
style among the youth? It has become the norm for young men to wear
multiple underwears.
Professor
of Reproductive Endocrinology, Oladapo Ashiru, warns that raising
scrotal temperature may reduce spèrm production. He explains that
testicles hang outside of the body because optimal spèrm production
requires a temperature that is one to two degrees centigrade below the
core temperature of 37°C.
Certain
occupational risks also affect spèrm health, we are told. Ashiru warns
that working in hot environments, such as a bakery or a foundry, or
sitting for long periods has been linked to raised testicle temperature.
“This
may affect spèrm’s ability to mature, leading to poorer spèrm quality
and a temporary drop in spèrm production. If you have a job that
involves sitting for long periods, have regular rest breaks and get up
and move around,” the professor of anatomy counsels.
More so, placing the laptop on the laps while working has its downside for men.
Researchers
at the State University of New York at Stony Brook say, “There is a
direct correlation between laptop use and increased scrotum temperature
by up to 35˚C in certain positions.” They therefore counsel laptop users
to let it sit on the table when being used.
Men
who love tight undies are also advised to take it easy on their organs.
Scientists say, “The more constricted a man’s pants are, the less
hospitable an environment he creates for spèrm production.”
Body
weight also affects spèrm health, experts say. Ashiru says while
maintaining a healthy weight helps to keep the spèrm in good condition,
being overweight may lower spèrm quality and quantity.
In
addition, a 2009 study by the World Health Organisation notes that,
compared to normal and overweight men, obese fertile men have reduced
testicular function and significantly lower spèrm counts.
And
if you love the bottle, experts say heavy drinking can be harmful to
spèrm. A research concludes that men who drink heavily on a regular
basis have lower spèrm counts and testosterone levels.
Worse
still, experts say, those who use ‘recreational’ drugs such as heroin,
cocaine, methamphetamine, Indian hemp, etc., risk spèrm damage; as these
drugs can lower spèrm quality and, in effect, reduce fertility.
As for young men who sit for hours watching TV, there’s the need to wise up.
In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine,
researchers at Harvard School of Public Health warn that healthy young
men who were sedentary, as measured by hours of TV viewing, had lower
spèrm counts than those who were the most physically active.
Senior
author of the study/assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology
at HSPH, Dr. Jorge Chavarro, says “men who watched more than 20 hours of
TV weekly had a 44 per cent lower spèrm count than those who watched
almost no TV.”
cool stuff...it will be helpful for expectant couple too henry
ReplyDeletewould love to have more info on this line pls..henry cos ma big uncle's marriage might crash due to this as the doctor has said his sperm is d problem for their inability to have an issue...
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