5 Common Lifestyle Factors That Cause Infertility

Know the common lifestyle factors that affects infertility

Infertility is the condition when the couple is unable to get pregnant despite having carefully timed, unprotected sex for one year. There is no exact cause for infertility but several factors affect the hormones and reproductive health of the men and women and cause ovulation related problems in women. This is the first sign of infertility. There are several treatments that can significantly improve the chances of getting pregnant and they include hormone treatments, fertility drugs and surgery.

But before that we think couples must be well aware of the factors, especially the lifestyle factors that affect the reproductive health, can cause infertility and reduce the chances of getting pregnant.

• Smoking in any form, first or second-hand smoke can negatively affect the reproductive health. Moreover, it can affect each step of the reproductive process for both men and women. Tobacco smoke has two major toxins that reduce sperm quality and egg production. They cause increased sperm DNA damage and reduced fertilization and development potential, culminating in lower pregnancy rates.  

• Diet: An unhealthy diet can be the root cause of all the problems thus it is important to maintain healthy eating habits and doctors recommend a variety of healthy foods for couple who are trying to conceive. Foods with antioxidant properties, mainly fruits and vegetables help fight against oxidative stress that can otherwise be harmful to both eggs and sperm. You must avoid eating junk and switch from trans fats (e.g. margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oils) to unsaturated fats (e.g. oily fish and nuts).

• Exercise: Some people might think that exercise has no relevance to infertility but you are wrong. Regular and intense exercise regimes can affect the male and female fertility. Thus it is advised to practice moderate exercise to aid various body functions, including reproduction. Make sure to avoid supplementary drugs, avoid tight clothing, limit your exposure to saunas and hot baths and consult your doctor for what works best for you.

• Alcohol: According to US NIH, heavy drinking can lower testosterone production, reduce libido making it tough for men to get an erection and maintain one thus reducing the sperm quality. Consuming two to four standard drinks a day on average is consumed healthy.

• Obesity: Obesity affects many functions of the body and cause many health conditions, infertility being one of them. Overweight can affect a couple’s ability to get pregnant. Six percent of women suffering from obesity have never been pregnant as per the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

  Obesity can elevate body temperatures resulting in hormonal imbalances and obese men are more likely to have higher estrogen levels that causes lower levels of sperm-producing hormones like inhibin b and androgen which messes up with sperm count, sperm concentration and more.