Overview of asthenozoospermia
Generally, within 1-2 hours of male ejaculation, the number of viable sperm is more than 70%, which is normal. If it is less than 50%, it is regarded as abnormal, which belongs to low sperm motility, and we call it asthenospermia. Asthenospermia is currently one of the important causes of male reproductive health problems.
What causes asthenozoospermia
1. Reproductive system infection
When there is an infection in the male reproductive system, such as acute and chronic inflammation in organs such as the epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and prostate, the vitality of sperm will also significantly decrease. If there are white blood cells or poor liquefaction in the routine examination of male semen, then inflammation of the reproductive system may be one of the important reasons.
Inflammatory infection can affect sperm motility in many ways. The direct effect of pathogenic microorganisms on sperm, for example, mycoplasma can be adsorbed on the head, middle and tail of sperm, so that when the sperm moves forward, the hydrodynamic resistance increases and the movement speed slows down, affecting the sperm motility vitality and the ability to penetrate the egg cell; In addition, mycoplasma can cause some sperm membrane defects or even membrane structure damage, affecting the fertilization ability of sperm.
The decrease of sperm motility caused by infection can also be achieved by changing the pH value of seminal plasma. When the pH value is lower than 7 or higher than 8, sperm motility decreases significantly. In addition, the increase in white blood cells in semen caused by inflammation can lead to a decrease in sperm motility through direct and indirect reasons.
Varicocele
It not only affects spermatogenesis, but also reduces sperm motility. When blood from varicocele is trapped, it can cause local microcirculatory disorders in the testicles, resulting in a lack of nutritional supply and a decrease in oxygen partial pressure. Insufficient energy generation can affect sperm production and activity. Therefore, if there is moderate to severe varicocele, it is often accompanied by oligospermia and weak spermia, and mild varicocele generally has little impact.
We can basically determine through a simple physical examination, such as the curved veins on the surface of the scrotal skin, the compressed soft lump that can be touched during the consultation of varicocele, the feeling like a mollusk, and the disappearance of the lump after lying flat. Some people may also experience discomfort with scrotal swelling after standing for a long time, which are all manifestations of varicocele.
3 Anti sperm antibodies
Anti sperm antibodies are a cause of male asthenospermia. If male vas deferens surgery, testicular biopsy, testicular torsion, reproductive tract injury, as well as reproductive tract infection, accessory gland infection, same-sex sexual behavior, etc., may disrupt the blood-testis barrier. If sperm and immune substances in the blood come into contact, the body will produce anti-sperm antibodies. At this point, the immune system of the human body will launch an attack on sperm, treating them as an antigen. This attack will lead to a decrease in the quality of sperm, such as an increase in deformity rate, a decrease in motility, easy agglutination, coagulation, etc., and a decrease in vitality is the most common.
4. Bad lifestyle habits
For example, smoking, drinking excessively, staying up late, wearing tight pants, or liking to take a sauna, take a hot bath, sweat steam, sleep on an electric blanket, etc., as well as the need for work, long periods of sitting, or working in high temperature environments, such as drivers, chefs, boiler workers, etc., staying in such environments for a long time, or being constantly in such living environments, can easily lead to weak sperm. For men who often play with laptops on their legs, the radiation from laptops may also cause damage to sperm, leading to a decrease in sperm quality.
5. Poor dietary habits
Overeating or partial eating can cause excess or deficiency of some trace elements, thus affecting the sperm motility. When the selenium content in semen decreases, the activity of peroxidase decreases, which cannot inhibit the lipid peroxidation of sperm cell membrane, resulting in sperm damage, increased dead sperm, and decreased vitality. A certain copper concentration is necessary to maintain sperm movement, but if the copper in seminal plasma is too high, it will inhibit the function of sperm mitochondria, resulting in the weakening or loss of sperm motility. Zinc deficiency can cause gonadal dysplasia, affect the release of pituitary gonadotropins, lead to reduced or stagnant sperm production, and decrease the ability of sperm to fertilize.
What are the effects of asthenozoospermia on fertility?
1. Impact on conception
Normally, only the sperm moving forward can ensure that the sperm reaches the belly of the tubal ampulla and combines with the egg to form a zygote. In this case, ex vivo sperm will be restricted in their activity before semen liquefaction. Once semen liquefaction occurs, they will immediately exhibit excellent motility. However, in the case of asthenozoospermia, if certain factors affect the motility of sperm, especially those that cannot move forward, it will cause the sperm to be unable to swim to the position where the egg is located within a certain period of time, making it impossible to achieve the process of conception.
2. Can easily lead to premature birth or miscarriage
Many pregnant women may experience premature birth or miscarriage during pregnancy, which may also be caused by insufficient sperm quality. Therefore, sufficient attention should be paid to asthenospermia.
3. Impact on eugenics and upbringing
Generally speaking, eugenics is the combination of excellent sperm and eggs, but there is a certain contingency in the pregnancy of asthenospermia. Even the sperm activity of mild asthenospermia is lower than that under normal conditions, which cannot guarantee the quality of sperm. In this case, pregnancy still has some drawbacks from the perspective of eugenics.
What are the treatment methods for asthenozoospermia
1. Medication treatment.
A considerable portion of anti infective asthenozoospermia is caused by infection, so anti infection is the first step. Anti infection can be treated with medication, and specific medication should be carried out according to medical advice.
2. Surgical treatment.
Severe asthenospermia caused by varicocele should be treated surgically.
3. Assisted reproduction.
For patients with mild to moderate asthenozoospermia who are ineffective in drug treatment, ordinary artificial insemination methods can be used; For patients with severe or severe asthenozoospermia, as well as those who have failed artificial insemination multiple times, IVF or ICSI technology can be considered.
4. Other treatments.
To correct bad habits, such as excessive smoking, alcoholism, sauna, etc., all of which can reduce or affect the motility of sperm. Therefore, for patients who have already identified asthenospermia, efforts should be made to correct these unhealthy lifestyle habits. Proper rest and relief of psychological stress are also helpful for the treatment of asthenozoospermia.