In this fast-paced life of the modern world, stress has become an inseparable partner. It’s our body’s natural response to life’s problems. And it’s okay to feel stressed sometimes. But what happens when these occasional bouts of stress become an everyday story? Well, long-lasting stress can pose serious threats to your overall health including your fertility.
Stress and male infertility are parts of a vicious cycle. When men cannot conceive, they tend to get stressed over it. And when they are stressed, their sperm quality deteriorates.
Even though sperm quality and fertility have been plummeting worldwide of late, stress as a cause is often not taken seriously. So in this blog, we’ll discuss the links between stress and fertility parameters. And you’ll also learn ways to cope with stress.
To do that, let’s first understand what stress is in more detail.
What Is Stress?
Stress is the trigger that helps your body perform under difficult situations. It helps you perform under pressure when you need to deliver a difficult task, for example working hard the night before an exam. But while these occasional bouts are indeed helpful for human survival, prolonged stress can make you sick…very sick!
Among other things, stress can take a toll on your fertility by impairing your sexual function and degrading your sperm quality.
What Is The Connection Between Stress And Male Infertility?
According to a 2014 study published in the journal ‘Fertility and Sterility’, stress affects multiple semen parameters including:
- Sperm Concentration
- Sperm Shape
- Sperm Motility
The study which employed 193 men aged between 38 to 49 found that stress led to a decrease in their sperm concentration and motility. Stress also increased the number of abnormal-shaped sperm.
Study authors suggested two possibilities behind these associations:
- Hormonal imbalance that led to a decrease in sperm production
- Oxidative stress due to increased free radicals which negatively affected fertility
Stress also reduces a man’s sexual desire which leads to decreased frequency of intercourse. This in turn reduces the probability of fertilisation and a successful pregnancy.
Having understood the connection between the two, let’s move on to the most important part of this blog – learning to cope with stress!
Stress Management Techniques For Men Trying To Become A Father
The stress-coping mechanism for each of us may be different. But below are some expert-recommended tips for improving your mental state and thereby increasing your chances of becoming a father:
- Never lean on intoxicants: Intoxicants like alcohol may seem like an easy option to drown yourself in and forget your worries. But stay warned that the path is a downward trail! Not only can these make your stress worse but leave severe ill effects on your reproductive health.
- Practise a hobby: Engaging yourself in any activity you enjoy doing can be a good way to relieve stress. Painting, listening to music or simply spending some quality time with yourself, your loved one is sure to pay off.
- Work on your relationships: Bear in mind that the difficulty you’re facing in trying to have a child is also affecting your partner emotionally. So spending some time with them and taking care of each other will work out for the best for both of you.
- Indulge in self-care: Stressful times may hamper your daily routine, making things worse. You should instead start to care for yourself more diligently, eating a healthy diet and doing regular physical exercise. These will not just boost your mood but also your fertility game.
- Talk to a well-wisher: Venting is important. All the built-up stress and no place to speak about it can feel suffocating. Hence it’s important to talk to a partner, friend, well-wisher or confidante. They may not be able to give you solutions but just knowing that someone is there for you is sometimes more than enough to make you feel better.
- Consult an expert: When things go awry, it’s advisable to discuss your issues with a counsellor or a reproductive health professional. They will guide you through this tough time and help you navigate through it.
Conclusion
You must take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone in this fight. And with appropriate changes and a healthy lifestyle, you can easily make things right and get one step closer to your fatherhood dreams. But given the uncertainties of time, you must at the same time be vigilant about the impact of stress on your fertility.
To keep a close track of your reproductive health, you can opt for SpermScore – an at-home sperm test that checks 10 sperm health conditions, and 14 parameters and gives you detailed insights on your way forward.
And to shield your fertility against the tides of time, you can go for sperm banking with SpermVault – India’s leading sperm bank that leaves no stone unturned to ensure the safety and quality of your preserved sample. With SpermVault you can now freeze your sperm for up to 10 years and become a father when you are ready.
For more information on SpermScore and SpermVault, visit www.lifecell.in or call 1800 266 5533.