Asthenozoospermia Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
What is Asthenozoospermia?
Asthenozoospermia means reduced sperm motility. Sperm motility is the ability of sperm to move in a straight line, with enough speed to reach the egg. When less than half of the sperm show movement, or fewer than 25% have rapid progressive motility, it indicates asthenozoospermia. Rapid progressive motility simply means sperm’s ability to move quickly. In this condition, the sperm fails to fertilize the egg.
Who can get Asthenozoospermia?
Asthenozoospermia is a condition that sexually mature men face. Even if you are otherwise overall fit, you could still have asthenospermia. In fact, 1 in 5000 men have 100% asthenospermia. There can be many possible reasons for this. Sometimes, it can also occur without obvious symptoms. Therefore, making regular checkups is important for those trying to conceive.
What are the Types of Asthenozoospermia?
There are basically two main ways doctors describe asthenozoospermia. It depends on the cause of the poor sperm movement.
- Primary: This means the sperm were born that way. They have problems moving because of their genes or how they develop. It’s a built-in issue.
- Secondary: This means the sperm used to move okay, but then lost their ability to move properly. Now, this might be because of things like getting an infection, being exposed to harmful stuff, or unhealthy habits.
What are the Causes of Asthenozoospermia?
Here are some asthenospermia causes found in men:
- Inflammation: When there is an infection in the tubes or maybe the prostate, it can make the sperm sluggish.
- Varicocele: Enlarged veins in the scrotum can mess with how the sperm swim.
- Abnormal Semen: If the semen is smooth and watery, the sperm can move freely. If it is not like that, it’s like the sperm are stuck in traffic!
- Chromosomal Abnormalities: Some genetic issues can negatively affect both sperm count and movement.
- Immunological Factors: Sometimes, antibodies attack the sperm, especially their tails, making it difficult for them to function correctly.
- Lifestyle factors and Occupational Reasons: Bad habits like smoking, alcohol consumption, a poor diet, not moving, and drugs can make sperm move poorly. Also, jobs with lots of sitting or pressure down there, like driving, might not help either.
Does Asthenozoospermia Affect Fertility?
Yes, asthenozoospermia does affect male fertility. It can make it much harder for a guy to get someone pregnant naturally. This is because the sperm needs to swim to the egg. How bad the movement is often affects how difficult it is to conceive. But the good news is that doctors can sometimes help with treatments. By changing certain habits, a man can improve his health, which can in turn enhance sperm motility.
What are the Symptoms of Asthenozoospermia?
Asthenospermia symptoms are not that apparent. Usually, men with asthenospermia don’t feel any different physically. Couples often only find out about it when they are having trouble getting pregnant. Then they have a semen analysis. Sometimes, there can be certain symptoms like pain, swelling, or changes in sexual function. But the main way to know if someone has asthenospermia is through a sperm test.
Diagnosing Asthenospermia
To find out if someone has asthenospermia, doctors do a sperm test. This test checks a few things, but mainly how many sperm are moving and how well they swim forward. The diagnosis includes:
- Sperm test: Looking at the sperm count, how well the sperm move, and what they look like.
- Automated examination: Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) is a tool that is used to measure sperm motility.
- Hormone tests: Checking the levels of body chemicals that help make sperm.
- Gene tests: Looking for any family-related reasons why sperm might not move well.
Treatment Options for Asthenospermia
Asthenozoospermia treatments include both lifestyle changes and medical options. Simple changes like regular exercise, quitting smoking, and cutting back on alcohol will help. Along with that, eating healthy foods rich in antioxidants can sometimes improve sperm movement. Certain supplements, such as selenium and vitamin E, might also help.
Many people choose assisted reproductive techniques (ART) like:
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), where sperm is placed directly into the woman’s uterus.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) involves fertilizing the egg in a lab.
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is used with IVF. In this technique, a single sperm is injected into an egg.
Asthenospermia and Fertility Treatments at Archish IVF
Dealing with asthenospermia can be challenging and frustrating. You need expert support and a clear medical guide to tackle it. At Archish IVF, we put together a treatment plan that’s totally tailored to you. We provide guidance on lifestyle changes that may help. We offer more advanced assisted reproductive techniques such as IVF and ICSI. Our fertility experts are dedicated to improving your reproductive system. We’re here to support you on your journey to becoming parents, no sweat.
FAQs
Making some healthy changes can help your sperm swim better. Things like exercising regularly and eating well help. Try quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, and managing stress to make a difference.
Having a balanced diet with vitamins like E and C, and minerals like zinc, might help sperm move better. It is smart to check with your doctor so they can tailor a diet specifically for you. Contact us at Archish IVF, and leave everything to us.
It usually takes about three months to see if healthy changes help with sperm motility.
Yes, you can still get pregnant with asthenospermia, but it might take longer naturally. For more serious cases, treatments like putting sperm directly in (IUI) or joining egg and sperm in a lab (IVF, ICSI) can help.