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How to Increase a Sperm Count
by Theresa Danna
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Overview
Infertility is medically defined as a couple's inability to conceive after one year of trying. In 35 percent of infertility cases, the cause originates with the man (known as the "male factor"), most commonly low sperm count, according to the book "Having Your Baby by Donor Insemination" by Elizabeth Noble. A count of less than 20 million per milliliter is considered low and is medically known as oligospermia. It is possible to increase sperm count with various methods, usually without requiring medical intervention.
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Step 1
Make some lifestyle changes. Smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs such as marijuana or cocaine have been linked to inadequate sperm production. Exposure to certain chemicals, lead or radiation in the workplace or for cancer treatment can also affect fertility. And obesity can alter hormones involved with sperm production.
Stress interferes with sperm production as well, so learning how to relax under pressure through controlled breathing, meditation or other stress management can help increase sperm count.
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Step 2
Keep your groin area cool. The temperature of a man's testicles plays a role in sperm count, too. Wearing boxer shorts and loose pants helps to maintain the necessary coolness. Do not expose your groin to heat sources such as laptop computers or hot tubs.
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Step 3
Increase certain vitamin and mineral intake. According to Fertilinet.com, vitamin C, L-Carnitine and zinc improve sperm count in some men. However, zinc can be toxic if taken in excess so daily consumption should not exceed 15 to 30 mg, warns Fertilinet.com.
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Step 4
Examine possible mental blocks. In the book "The Language of Fertility," author Niravi B. Payne documents cases where men's sperm production increased only after they released negative feelings about parenthood. For example, men who reported being reared with an absentee father were harboring a subconscious fear about having children because they themselves were not properly fathered. Sperm count was also negatively affected in men who had not fully separated from their mothers. She also found that men who were diagnosed with low sperm count thought negatively of themselves, but when they released their feelings of not being masculine enough, their sperm count increased.
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Step 5
Consult your physician for possible drug treatment or surgery. If your low sperm count is caused by variocele (swelling of veins in the scrotum), minor surgery can help.
If your low sperm production is caused by a hormonal imbalance in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, you can discuss with your fertility doctor the possibility of taking the same infertility drugs usually prescribed to women---the pill clomiphene and the injection human menopausal gonadotropin. However, these fertility drugs are not as effective for men as they are for women, according to BabyCenter.com.
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- Vitamin C
L-Carnitine
Zinc
- Vitamin C
- L-Carnitine
- Zinc
