There are so many rumors spread through the media on what is good or bad for sperm and how one could boost it. Most of them distinguish men in ‘fertile’ and ‘infertile’ ones. The truth is that every man’s sperm may weaken sometimes. It is also wrong for a man to consult a ..gynecologist! Competent to advice a man is only the urologist.
At times several publications claim that bacon, mobile phones, wireless network, laptops, bikes, …, harm semen. Women trying to conceive are told not to have coitus more than twice a week, as frequent ejaculations would ‘weaken’ sperm. Earlier warnings used to link frequency to ‘blindness’, ‘mutulation’, ‘deafness’. However, these have not been proven, yet. It was also said that hazelnuts strengthen semen, while, still nowadays, publications recommend the consumption of vegetables, nuts and herbs to cure semen.
A balanced diet may protect or in some way contribute in having a ‘healthy’ semen. However, there is no way that diet or supplements alone could ever cure an abnormal sperm. Only an urologist can make the diagnosis and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Smoking has been proven to harm our health in general, as a consequence it could adversely affect, to some extent, the quality of sperm. However, it would be an exaggeration to believe that cutting smoking will cure semen.
The real harm lies in misinformation by incompetent sources
Alcoholism could also adversely affect sperm, but a mild alcohol consumption.
Anabolic steroids intake, e.g. by bodybuilders, may cause serious and sometimes irreversible damage to semen production.
Exposure of the testes to high temperatures may affect, to some extent, the fertilizing capacity of sperm. The testicles are outside the body because they need a lower temperature to function properly. In a very obese man, the testicles are in close contact with his body. A professional driver should avoid heating the seat. Similarly, it is preferable to wear clothes that allow ventilation of the testes and do not keep them in close contact with the body.
Measures restricting the exposure to petrochemicals (paints, varnishes, fuels) should be taken particularly by professionals to protect, inter alia, their sperm.
Paraplegia adversely affects semen production. It is thus recommended to advice patients to cryopreserve their semen as sooner as possible, in order to ensure the possibility of childbearing in the future.
In cases of hormonal disorders that threaten normal spermatogenesis or when medical treatments that may compromise testicular function, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy or frequent blood transfusions are needed, like in the case of children with thalassemia, the physician should advise the patient to cryopreserve semen already by adolescence. Our laboratory has already had some cases in which the long term use of antidepressant drugs seems to compromise the prostate’s function.
Varicocele and other medical conditions that may compromise male urogenital tract are diagnosed by an urologist, who will then advise for the appropriate treatment.
A very common cause of ‘weak’ semen is the infection of the urogenital tract by bacteria. Infections in men do not usually present with symptoms, for this reason every man shall preventively consult an urologist or at least each time his partner presents an irritation or infection, such as fungi, vaginitis, cervicitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Of course, an intense pain from the testes, even if there was not any serious injury, should urgently lead a man to the nearest urologist. Torsion of a testicle may cause its loss in the next few hours.