You're a proud dad to a happy little rugrat, and you're finally ready for another one. Only now, your little swimmers have gone off-duty. What next?
As absurd as it may seem for your sperm to falter after they've already performed the first time around, secondary infertility is a plausible outcome for many men. Here's a closer look at the condition.
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Defined as the inability to enable conception after previously having fathered a biological child, secondary infertility is more common than you think. Here are some factors that could play a role.
This condition is responsible for 1 in 5 male secondary infertility cases. A condition caused by distended veins, varicocele causes swelling in the scrotum, which in turn, prompts a rise in temperature inside the testicles. A heated environment can be deadly for sperm, causing them to diminish and die.
Injury to the penis or testicles can lower sperm production and quality, leading to infertility.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can seriously compromise sperm quality and count. This is why it is advisable to freeze sperm before beginning cancer treatment if you hope to have a child in the future.
Tobacco, drugs and alcohol can make life hard for your little swimmers. It's one thing to have got healthily pregnant on these the last time around, but a build-up of toxins in your body may eventually catch up with you, masquerading as secondary infertility.
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Blood disorders like thalassaemia and haemochromatosis can wreak havoc on your reproductive mechanism by amping up the body's iron levels. Unnaturally high iron levels can cause organ damage, and in turn, infertility.
In the world we live in, we are unwittingly exposed to toxins everyday. But some toxins are even more damaging than others. Lead-laden products, pesticides, harmful chemicals and radiation are vicious for sperm.
Stress can unleash a torrent of setbacks premature age lines, insomnia, chronic anxiety and perhaps worst of all, infertility. Even if you were under just as much stress before your first child was born, it's possible that the mental pressure has now snowballed into a physical manifestation.
Obesity, overweight and type 2 diabetes are common causes of infertility. Often, an increase in weight disrupts the hormonal equilibrium, leading to hampered sperm production and quality.
If you and your partner have been struggling to conceive the second time around, it's a good idea to have yourselves screened for secondary infertility. By seeking a diagnosis, you can work towards overcoming the problem at hand and finally completing your family.
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