Oligospermia: Low Sperm Count Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
What Does It Mean To Have A Low Sperm Count?
A low sperm count, also called oligozoospermia, is where a man has fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Having a low sperm count can make it more difficult to conceive naturally, although successful pregnancies can still occur.
Types of oligospermia.
Mild Oligiospermia is where 10-15 mill sperms per mil of semen are found.
Moderate is where 5 – 10 mill sperms are found in per mil of semen
Severe oligiospermia is where 1- 5 mil sperms are found in per mil of semen
And, Cryptospermia is a condition where 0 to rare sperms are found in per mil of semen. An additional test is required in this case.
Symptoms of low sperm count:
One of the primary symptoms of low sperm count is the inability to conceive. For this condition, unfortunately, no major signs are there but occasionally, cases of chromosomal abnormality or hormonal imbalance, low sexual drive or problem in maintaining an erection or some swelling in the testicle area might be seen.
If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, it is advisable that you see your fertility expert immediately. Your doctor will be able to prescribe some semen analysis tests for low sperm count, which can determine the number of sperm per mil of semen.
The various treatment options are available for low sperm count or Oligospermia.
Surgery. For example, a varicocele can often be surgically corrected or an obstructed vas deferens can be repaired. Prior vasectomies can be reversed. In cases where no sperm are present in the ejaculate, sperm can often be retrieved directly from the testicles or epididymis using sperm retrieval techniques.
Treating infections. Antibiotics can cure an infection of the reproductive tract, but this doesn’t always restore fertility.
Treatments for sexual intercourse problems. Medication or counseling can help improve fertility in conditions such as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.
Hormone treatments and medications. Your doctor might recommend hormone replacement or medications in cases where infertility is caused by high or low levels of certain hormones or problems with the way the body uses hormones.
Assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART treatments involve obtaining sperm through normal ejaculation, surgical extraction or from donor individuals, depending on your specific situation and wishes. The sperm are then inserted into the female genital tract, or used for IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
These treatments can help you father a child even with a low sperm count.
Increase Sperm Count Naturally
There are some dietary changes that your doctor can suggest. Foods rich in certain nutritional value might be helpful
