Oligospermia

　　The common cause of oligospermia is poor spermatogenic function of the testicles, resulting in a low number of sperm. These individuals have small testicles and soft texture when touched; some patients with oligospermia have normal testicles, capable of producing sufficient sperm, but the ducts that transport sperm are not completely unobstructed, and not all sperm can be expelled, thus causing oligospermia. A few young men are due to frequent sexual activity. They mistakenly believe that increasing the frequency of sexual activity will increase the chances of conception, but to their surprise, it results in oligospermia.

　　1. Idiopathic

　　Idiopathic oligospermia, long-term and large-scale injection of androgens, due to negative feedback, leads to a decrease in gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, resulting in decreased gonadotropin secretion and subsequent decrease or absence of sperm.

　　2. Drug effects

　　Directly or indirectly affect sperm production, such as sulfonamides, furantadine, spironolactone, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, colchicine.

　　3. Radiation Exposure

　　Radiation exposure is most sensitive to immature cells, including spermatogenic epithelium, which can cause spermatogenic cell division to slow down or stop, or even cause irreversible damage.

　　4. Impact of Male Diseases

　　For example, varicocele in men, abnormal testicles, etc. The existence of these diseases will directly affect male sperm. Abnormal testicles can affect the ability of the testicles to produce sperm. Varicocele can damage the scrotum, harm the sperm inside the scrotum, and also affect the testicles.

　　5. Male Chromosomal Abnormalities

　　Chromosomal abnormalities are innate genetic mutations, which may be the result of inheritance from the previous generation. Chromosomal abnormalities causing a decrease in sperm count are also common in clinical practice.

　　6. Reproductive System Infection

　　For example, urinary system infection, infection of accessory glands, etc., bacteria can affect sperm, causing sperm death or a decrease in sperm count.

　　7. Autoimmune

　　Antisperm antibodies present in the male body can kill sperm, greatly reducing the number of sperm.

　　8. Other Factors

　　Alcoholism, excessive smoking, and drug abuse can all suppress sperm production; human emotions, the scrotum always being in a high-temperature place, or long-term exposure to radioactive substances, etc., can all cause male oligospermia.

　　Oligospermia has always been a concern for male friends, a burden on family happiness, and a huge impact on the lives of men. Men with oligospermia should seek medical treatment in a timely manner to reduce the harm caused by oligospermia. At the same time, attention should be paid to care, so as to recover health as soon as possible. Then, what complications can oligospermia trigger?

　　1. Failure of Testicular Spermatogenic Function

　　Local factors include congenital maldevelopment of the testes, trauma, inflammation, vascular diseases, and interference with scrotal temperature regulation, while systemic factors include endocrine diseases, heredity, nutritional disorders, radiation exposure, industrial hazards, etc.

　　2. Obstruction of the Vas Deferens

　　Patients may have obstruction or absence of the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal duct due to inflammation, injury, malformation, etc.

　　3. Infertility

　　When suffering from oligospermia, the reduction in sperm count and low sperm motility leads to a decrease in the chance of sperm and egg meeting and combining, resulting in male infertility.

　　4. Urinary and Reproductive System Infection

　　When suffering from oligospermia, other diseases may also occur, such as concurrent urinary and reproductive system infections, orchitis, epididymitis, and seminal vesiculitis and prostatitis, etc.

　　5. Azoospermia

　　If oligospermia is caused by an elevated testicular temperature and abnormal spermatogenic function due to toxic accumulation, severe cases may even lead to azoospermia.

　　6. Disruption of Postnatal Factors

　　There are situations of weakness in the spleen and stomach, and insufficient vital essence. Deficiency in endowment, kidney essence depletion, diminishing life fire, and inability to produce essence.

　　Experts remind: A low sperm count means fewer opportunities for sperm to meet eggs. However, infertility due to oligospermia is not absolute; even with a low sperm count, it is still possible to have children if the quality is very good. Of course, if the sperm count is low and the quality is poor, it will be very difficult to have children.

　　Oligospermia is one of the important causes of male infertility, and more and more friends are paying attention to it. Understanding the symptoms of oligospermia is very important for male friends in their later examinations and treatments. Next, infertility experts introduce the symptoms of male oligospermia.

　　1. Lethargy

　　Patients with oligospermia often experience symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, lack of appetite, weight loss, loose stools, sore lower back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, and apathy towards sex.

　　2. Low semen density

　　The most typical symptom of oligospermia is that the sperm density in the semen is less than 20 million/ml, and some patients may also experience a decrease or increase in semen volume, as well as poor sperm vitality.

　　3. Complications of serious reproductive diseases

　　Inflammation and infection of the reproductive system are the main causes of oligospermia, so patients may have complications such as cryptorchidism, varicocele, immune abnormalities, and reproductive tract infections.

　　4. Difficulty in Fertility

　　According to the definition of the World Health Organization, couples who have been living together for more than 2 years without using contraception and have not been able to conceive are considered infertile. There is a certain degree of randomness in natural conception for patients with oligospermia, even for those with mild oligospermia, the number of sperm is far below that of normal males, so the chance of natural conception for patients with oligospermia is not optimistic, which is also one of the typical symptoms.

　　Experts remind: If friends find symptoms, they must remember to seek treatment in a timely manner and never delay, as missing the best opportunity for treating oligospermia. At the same time, maintain a good attitude and actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment plan.

　　Although there are more and more patients with oligospermia, many friends still do not understand this disease. Oligospermia refers to a condition where the number of sperm in males is less than the normal amount, which makes it difficult to have normal fertility. Since a female has only one egg per month, and the number of eggs is limited, there must be a sufficient number and quality of sperm to ensure a smooth pregnancy. The best way to treat oligospermia is through prevention, and only when prevention is done properly can the incidence of oligospermia be greatly reduced.

　　1. Change bad habits

　　Quit smoking and drinking, and avoid eating greasy foods; also, be careful to avoid contact with toxic substances in daily life. There are also some common sense tips to note, such as wearing clothes from dry cleaning for a few days before wearing them, as dry cleaning agents can affect male sexual function.

　　2. Maintain personal hygiene

　　It is important to develop good personal hygiene habits to prevent various infectious diseases that can harm male fertility, such as mumps and sexually transmitted diseases.

　　3. Avoid high temperature of the testicles

　　The testicles are a very delicate organ, and their optimal working temperature is about 1 degree lower than the human body temperature. If the temperature is too high, it will affect sperm production, so any factor that can raise the temperature of the testicles should be avoided. This includes activities such as long-term cycling, taking hot baths, and wearing jeans.

　　4. Mastering sexual knowledge

　　It is necessary to master certain sexual knowledge, understand male physiological characteristics and health knowledge. If there are changes in the testicles that are different from usual, such as swelling, hardness, unevenness, pain, etc., timely diagnosis and treatment are essential.

　　The above measures need to be taken to prevent oligospermia. However, if the working environment of male friends has an adverse effect on sperm, attention should also be paid to this. In addition, the possibility of preventing oligospermia caused by orchitis or prostatitis is very small. Once the condition is found, it should be treated in a timely manner.

　　Abstain from sexual activity for 3 to 7 days, and perform routine semen analysis more than three times. If the sperm density is less than 20 million and no cause can be found, it can be considered as idiopathic oligospermia. When the sperm density ≤ 1×10^6/ml, it can be diagnosed as severe oligospermia. Through medical history, physical examination, and other auxiliary laboratory tests (genetic testing, endocrine hormone measurement, microbiological examination, antisperm antibody, trace element measurement, etc.), most causes of oligospermia can be found. When seminal analysis shows oligospermia and is accompanied by diseases that cause oligospermia, secondary oligospermia can be diagnosed.

　　1. Ultrasound examination

　　It is helpful to confirm varicocele.

　　2. Testicular biopsy

　　It is used for azoospermia or oligospermia, directly checking the spermatogenic function of the seminiferous tubules in the testes and the development of interstitial cells. The synthesis and metabolism of local hormones can be reflected by immunohistochemical staining.

　　3. X-ray examination

　　To determine the site of obstruction of the seminal duct, methods such as seminal duct and epididymis造影, seminal vesicle and seminal duct造影, or urethral造影 can be used. For patients with hyperprolactinemia, an X-ray computed tomography of the sella turcica (anteroposterior and lateral views) can be taken to determine the presence of a pituitary adenoma.

　　4. Immunological examination

　　By detecting the agglutinating antibodies or immobilizing antibodies in serum or seminal plasma through sperm agglutination tests or immobilization tests, various detection methods should be selected according to local conditions.

　　5. Endocrine examination

　　By stimulating tests, it is possible to understand the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis, and the determination of testosterone levels can directly reflect the function of interstitial cells. If necessary, thyroid hormone, adrenal cortex hormone, or prolactin can be measured.

　　6. Routine semen examination

　　It is helpful to understand male fertility and is an essential examination for infertility, including color, quantity, liquefaction time, acidity and alkalinity, sperm count, motility, survival rate, and morphology.

　　Oligospermia refers to a condition where the number of sperm in seminal fluid is lower than that of a normal fertile male. According to the World Health Organization, male sperm should not be less than 20 million per milliliter. If it is less than 20 million, it is classified as oligospermia, which has a significant impact on fertility. Patients with oligospermia should pay attention to their dietary habits in daily life and eat less food that is harmful to sperm.

　　1. Beer

　　If a person has kidney disease and drinks a large amount of beer without restriction, it can lead to uric acid deposition, causing tubular obstruction and kidney failure.

　　2. Soy Products

　　Patients with oligospermia should eat less soybeans because some components in soybeans can cause a decrease in sperm count. In this way, the condition of oligospermia patients will worsen, thus affecting male reproductive function. Many people highly recommend soy milk and soy yogurt, which have become food that can kill sperm.

　　3. Pork Kidneys

　　Many people like to eat animal internal organs, especially when eating barbecue, 'kidneys' have become the favorite of many men. Recently, doctors in Taiwan have warned that eating internal organs for health can cause heavy metal 'cadmium' to damage sperm and cause infertility.

　　4. Celery

　　In recent years, studies have shown that eating celery frequently can significantly reduce the number of sperm in men, and after stopping eating for 4 months, it can return to normal levels.

　　5. Coffee

　　For those with large emotional fluctuations and easily excited sympathetic nerves, it is best not to drink coffee or other caffeine-containing beverages before sex, in order to avoid suppressing the parasympathetic nerves and reducing libido.

　　6. Fried Chicken

　　Men who love barbecue in summer, experts point out that barbecue and fried starch foods contain carcinogenic toxins acrylamide, which can lead to male oligospermia and weak sperm. In addition, heavy metals such as cadmium and pesticide residues also have toxic effects on sperm.

　　Oligospermia is a common disease in urology, referring to a condition where the number of sperm in seminal fluid is lower than that of normal fertile males, which has a significant impact on fertility, and can lead to male infertility in severe cases.

　　1. Targeted treatment for etiology

　　For those with clear etiology, treatment should be targeted at the etiology, such as varicocele and cryptorchidism can be treated with surgery; reproductive tract infection should be treated with anti-infection therapy; those with autoimmune ant精子 antibodies can try immunosuppressants such as adrenal corticosteroids and high-dose vitamin C. For oligospermia caused by exogenous factors, these external factors can be removed. With the removal of the primary disease and external factors, the sperm count will increase, achieving satisfactory results.

　　2. Treatment with testosterone or artificial testosterone derivatives

　　For idiopathic oligospermia with unknown etiology, testosterone or artificial testosterone derivatives can be used for treatment, such as testosterone propionate, fluoxymesterone, etc. The serotonin antagonist Metergoline also has certain efficacy. In addition, drugs such as corticosteroids, clomiphene, tamoxifen, HCG, HMG, etc., can be tried.