The causes of infertility are very diverse. Infections, both general and local, should be put in the first place. Often the causes of infertility in men lie in infectious diseases suffered in childhood: measles, scarlet fever, mumps can be complicated by testicular disease, which in the future will lead to infertility. Any infectious common disease can be complicated by diseases of the genitals. Elevated temperature, intoxication can play a role. Common infections can affect the liver, kidneys, and this will be an indirect effect.
Now great importance is attached to hidden infections that occur gradually, imperceptibly, but have an impact on the reproductive system, causing obstruction of the vas deferens or affecting the testicles. There are also banal infections - Staphylococcus, streptococcus, which can also affect the organs of the reproductive system. They are quite widespread, which is associated with the early onset of sexual activity.
The second thing to pay attention to is intoxication. They can develop as a result of uncontrolled intake or forced use of medications. Intoxication can also include alcohol abuse, drug use, tobacco smoking. Industrial intoxication is associated with deliberately harmful professions, such as, for example, working as a police inspector at an intersection or a painter, working in steel workshops. Industrial intoxication may concern people living in areas where there are harmful emissions into the atmosphere, water. There is such a concept - cumulative, that is, accumulating, effect. A person walks past a smoking chimney every day, and nothing seems to happen. But he constantly breathes this air and after 10 years begins to get sick. With fruits and vegetables, we consume herbicides and fertilizers, which can also have a negative effect on the reproductive system.
In the world, about 100,000 new substances are synthesized annually, used as food additives, medicines, and catalysts in production. However, before coming into contact with a person, they undergo a mutagenicity test - the ability to change the chemical structure of a gene. But this test is carried out on rats, and how do these substances act on humans? There may be abnormalities of testicular development, urethra and infertility. Now the number of anomalies has increased from 3-4 to 6-8%. Radiation is a very important factor: work on nuclear ships, power plants, with radioactive substances, contact with rocket fuel, heavy metals.
We must not forget about the psychological burden. The neurotic situation hits the weak points, and if it is the sexual sphere, then the reproductive function suffers. And sometimes it happens like this: stress stress is relieved - and pregnancy occurs.
Infertility can be caused by trauma and even alimentary, that is, nutritional, factor. It is known that the diet should contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins, that is, the diet should be balanced. For an adult, a violation of this balance for a while does not matter much, but for a child, especially during puberty, it can be dangerous. So, many teenagers who were in the besieged Leningrad, subsequently remained infertile.
Beer with long shelf life contains female sex hormones, and it's not too useful for men. Skinny jeans that squeeze the genitals are also harmful now. So there are a lot of reasons for infertility in men.
I want to note one more fact. Our regular patients are men who played a lot of sports and used anabolic hormones. Most of them remained infertile, and their sexual function is reduced. Why is this happening? The fact is that anabolic hormones are male hormones that build muscle mass, affect metabolism, only they are produced by the adrenal glands. Normally, there is a balance in the body between male hormones produced by the adrenal glands and testicles. And when large doses of anabolics are administered, they suppress the production of hormones by the testicles and an imbalance occurs. The most unpleasant thing is that after stopping taking anabolic hormones, the testicles are no longer able to produce the right amount of their hormones.
Such a situation is also possible: an absolutely healthy couple cannot have children. This is caused by incompatibility of cervical mucus and sperm.
In the event that pregnancy does not occur during the first year of life (of course, if the partners are not protected at the same time), then it is already worth contacting a specialist.
Which specialist should I contact with the problem of infertility? In men, the reproductive and urinary systems are interconnected, unlike in women, in whom these systems are separated by the vestibule of the vagina. Therefore, a gynecologist does not deal with urological diseases, and a male doctor is forced to deal with both urology and problems related to sexual dysfunction. Currently, there is a need for doctors for male diseases, and now there is such a profession as an andrologist, but it is a subspeciality of urology. And you should contact a urologist with infertility problems. If necessary, he will refer the patient to the right specialist.
The main study in the diagnosis of infertility is a spermogram - a study of sperm. It is she who gives us information about how the reproductive function is impaired. Then a study of sex hormones is carried out, urine and blood tests are performed. Biochemical studies are carried out: blood sugar, bilirubin levels, which indicates the work of the liver, urea and creatinine, which gives an idea of the functioning of the kidneys. After all, everything in the body is interconnected, and there is no organ or system on which the reproductive function would not depend. And the male body is arranged in such a way that if a chronic disease occurs, the reproductive system is turned off so that this disease is not transmitted to children.
The success of infertility treatment depends on the degree of the lesion. First of all, it is necessary to find out what is the cause of infertility. And when we know this, we act on these links.
By the way, there is a misconception that if spermatozoa are not found in the spermogram, then nothing can be done anymore. And among such patients, approximately 30-40% have obstruction of the vas deferens, in which we can help. Firstly, in this case, it is possible to perform plastic surgery and restore patency, the effectiveness of such an operation is up to 60%. Or you can send the patient to ICSI: make a puncture, get sperm and inject them into the egg. This technique has been worked out, and there are no problems here. Another thing is that this procedure is complicated and expensive.
It should be noted that, unfortunately, most andrological operations are not provided by CHI. And the examination for infertility is only paid. And this is wrong. After all, in the USA, the gene pool is undermined by constant wars, it needs to be restored.
Now there are many different ways of treatment. And the most important thing is not to be alone with your troubles and be sure to consult a doctor. In most cases, the problem of infertility is solved positively.