Low sperm motility causes and treatments

One of the most important factors in providing couples with the most effective fertility treatment plan possible is arriving at an accurate diagnosis of the underlying cause or causes of that couple’s infertility. While identifying a definitive cause for a couple’s infertility isn’t necessary to the success of fertility treatment, nor is it always possible, it is certainly helpful when it can be accomplished. Even though most cases of infertility are complex and involve multiple factors, some of which are known, while others can only be speculated, the more that we can pinpoint, the better.

One of the most common sources of male infertility is low sperm motility. Low sperm motility refers to the inability of the sperm move quickly and efficiently toward their desired destination, the egg. Among men with low sperm motility, the majority of the sperm are too slow and haphazard in their motion to make it to the egg; in fact, most probably do not make it past the vaginal canal. Those that do usually die immediately.

There are several possible causes for low sperm motility; in some cases, lifestyle changes may be sufficient to restoring fertility. If not, there are low sperm motility treatments available at our Dallas fertility clinic, CARE Fertility, which can give couples renewed hope of successfully conceiving a child of their own.

Causes of Low Sperm Motility

The most common causes of low sperm motility include:

Heat: Extreme heat is the enemy of sperm, so you should avoid excessively hot showers, as well as dips in the hot tub and trips to the sauna. Tight underwear and jeans are also no-nos. And if you happen to be reading this blog post on a laptop that’s actually sitting on your lap, stop now. Don’t rest anything that produces heat on your lap.
Overabundance of sex:Especially if you are trying to conceive, you may think that having a lot of sex is a good idea. However, too much sex can cause you to have low sperm motility. Unless you are within the fertility window, limit your sex to once every two or three days.
Stress: You know what stress can do to your overall health. Well, it’s not so great for the health of your sperm either. Just as stress can make you feel sluggish, it can make your little swimmers feel sluggish, too. Find ways to relieve your stress, even if it means mastering some relaxation techniques.
Heavy metals: Limit your exposure to heavy metals, including such foods as iodized salt.
Poor nutrition: If you aren’t getting enough vitamin C or vitamin B12 in your diet, you risk low sperm motility.
Smoking: It is no secret that smoking is bad for you for reasons too numerous to list here. One reason that you may not be aware of is that smoking can cause low sperm motility.
Drinking alcohol: See smoking, above.

Treating Low Sperm Motility

If, after making appropriate changes to your lifestyle, you continue to struggle with low sperm motility, CARE Fertility offers a full range of fertility treatments designed to help you overcome your problem and conceive a child. If low sperm motility is the primary factor in your infertility, then intrauterine insemination, or IUI, may be the ideal treatment in your case. IUI involves the direct injection of sperm into the uterus so that poor movement is not a factor in conception. If IUI is not successful, then we may recommend in vitro fertilization, or IVF.

Learn More about Low Sperm Motility Causes and Treatments

To learn more about low sperm motility causes and treatments, schedule an appointment with us today.