Infertility can be Diagnosed After One Year
Infertility can be diagnosed after one year of being unable to conceive a child. Traditionally, the woman has often been to blame for being infertile, while in fact the man can be equally infertile. Infertility experts suggest that between 35 and 40 percent of infertility problems are cause by male-related conditions, and an equal percentage of infertility issues are attributed to the woman. The cause of the remaining percentage of issues is often unknown.
Healthy Sperm are a Must
In order for a man to be fertile, he has to have healthy sperm. When trying to conceive, about 200 million sperm are mixed with semen which becomes ejaculate. Of these sperm, only about 15 to 45 are healthy enough to successfully fertilize an egg. After a man ejaculates, only about 400 sperm survive, and of those only about 40 reach the egg. Only 1 sperm will penetrate the outer layer of the egg to fertilize it.
Given such extraordinary odds against successful fertilization of an egg, a man’s sperm count needs to be as high as possible, and they should be as healthy as possible. Many factors can contribute to unhealthy sperm or a low sperm count. Age, drug or alcohol use, exposure to toxins, disease and heat are some of the causes of male infertility.
A Simple Vitamin Deficiency?
When a couple is trying to conceive a child and they find out that one or both of them has infertility issues, it can be devastating. The couple will often do whatever they can in order to have a child, including expensive treatments. In some cases of male infertility, however, it can be a simple vitamin deficiency that is causing the infertility.
A study published in the Cleveland Clinic’s Urology News showed that many men might increase their fertility by taking a simple vitamin E supplement. Vitamin E is a kind of antioxidant that may be responsible for combating or neutralizing the number of free radicals that might damage the health and numbers of sperm in men.