Health

Infertility is as much a man’s problem as a woman’s. And while women’s fertility issues are sometimes caused by missing that narrow window of opportunity men’s problems can be lifelong or created by life choices.

In the last 50 years, human male fertility has been declining. Right now, you’ve got half the firepower of a man who lived in the 1960s. And male fertility is continuing to decline by about two percent a year.

Expert says when a couple is infertile, a third of the time it’s a female problem, a third of the time it’s problems with the dude’s body and a third of the time it could be either.

Causes of infertility in men can be caused by genetic factors, but there are also related to lifestyle. Here are some things that can increase the risk of men become infertile, as quoted by FoxNews on Monday (8/15/2011), namely:

1. Genetic disorders. A genetic mutation that removes a coating of carbohydrates around sperm reduces their mobility. When men inherit both copies of this mutant gene—one from their father and one from their mother—they have the most problems impregnating women.

2. Obesity. Being unhealthy affects every cell in your body.

3. Jobs. Painters, printers, welders, builders, drivers, and some office workers can have a low sperm count due to rising scrotum temperature and/or prolonged periods of sitting.

4. Alcohol abuse. Alcoholics have 30 percent fewer normal cells in their semen.

5. Sexual problems like premature ejaculation. If the young swimmers don’t even make it into the canal, they’ll never find the prize.

6. Tobacco use. One of smoking’s biggest negative impacts is on sperm motility.

Poor nutrition. You need lots of vitamin C , zinc, vitamin E, and beta-carotene in order to have healthy sperm.

Exposure to toxins. Toxins, like pesticides and lead paint (hear that, gardeners, farmers and painters?), can damage sperm.

Marijauna or other drug use. This reduces your total sperm count and semen volume. Plus, sperm in marijuana addicts burns out faster and the race is lost.

Laptops. The very name should be changed to table-tops because the accessory heats up sperm by two degrees during just a one-hour train ride. ** [RS]