The life that risks your fertility
What you need to know:
Some lifestyle habits could someday come back to haunt you when they affect your ability to have babies, writes Stella Nakakande
A couple of years ago, infertility was known largely to be a woman’s problem. This belief has not died out, but it is currently easier for people to explore the possibility that the man could have a problem.
Nonetheless, Dr Mark Muyingo Tamusange of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Makerere University College of Health Sciences, says the inability to conceive weighs heavily on a couple and the journey to find a solution requires a lot of commitment.
He explains, “Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive after 12 months of having regular heterosexual intercourse without the use of birth control.
“Numerous causes of infertility can be avoided if we know that that the choices we make in life can have a direct impact on our fertility,” he says. He sites some of the are various causes of infertility, in both men and women;
In a woman
Smoking and alcohol consumption, especially heavily for the latter will affect fertility. “Heavy intake has been linked to menstrual, ovulation abnormalities,” he says and excess consumption of alcohol has been known to lead a foetal alcohol syndrome (associated with stunted growth) that comes with its complications.
Other lifestyle factors include diet, how much one exercises with excess of this not being good, as well as one’s body weight. Illicit drug use, chronic diseases like diabetes and some medicines prescribed by the doctor, cancer medications and sometimes, the cancer itself, are among other causes.
Advanced age is another cause among women. Biologically (as regards to hormones), a woman reaches her peak between 20 and 25 years and chances that occur in the reproductive system as one grows will tend to affect fertility. The quality of ova produced also declines remarkably after 35 years.
Diseases like the pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) that causes scarring of the fallopian tubes in the healing process blocks the passage used by the sperm to get to the egg.
The men
Some of the factors, especially the lifestyle habits, cut across. The specifics include;
• A history of mumps during or just after puberty. This, according to the doctor, is because the virus can attack the testicles, where sperm production occurs.
• A scrotal injury, say during sports.
• Exposing the genitals to heat for instance by frequent use of saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, whirlpools, and hot baths, can temporarily lower sperm count. which tends to hinder sperm production may contribute to male fertility problems. This similarly explains the danger in men who wear tight clothes, since this moves the scrotum closer to the body, where it is warmer.
• Nutrition: Men need high levels of zinc to increase sperm count and this is why pumpkin seeds are good for them. Vitamins C, E, selenium, calcium, and vitamin D, the doctor adds are also important.
• Body weight is alongside nutrition with the normal body mass index (weight in kg/ height in m^2) being between 19 and 25. Those below this are underweight while those between 25 and 30 are overweight and those above 30 are obese.
