Take note: Men and women, these 3 lifestyle habits may lead to infertility

Sleeping less than 7 hours in order to catch a flight, that extra puff of cigarette or office stress that is carried home- can all make you infertile.

By: Aishwarya Iyer | | Published: August 7, 2018 4:18 pm

Starting a family is a personal choice. While there may be couples who would want to have a baby as early as possible while those who don’t mind conceiving even after some 4 years of marriage. No matter when you decide to have a baby, the important thing is to maintain a good lifestyle.

Fertility experts have reiterated that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is really important. A healthy lifestyle, not only promotes eating right but also involves cutting down on vices. Here are 3 lifestyle habits that ruin sperm count in men 3 lifestyle habits that reduce the chances of pregnancy in women:

3 lifestyle habits that ruin the sperm count in men:

Dr Rajalaxmi Walavalkar, Consultant, IVF and Reproductive Surgery, Cocoon Fertility, says that a healthy lifestyle is very important. Sperm health is very crucial when it comes to starting a family.

1. Staying up too late- “Research suggests that lack of sleep may lower production of the hormone testosterone which is essential for sperm production,” said Dr Walavalkar. A study in the Medical Science Monitor, found a strong link between sperm count, health and sleep. The study observed that short and long sleep duration and later bedtime can reduce sperm count, survival, and motility.

2. Keeping your cell phone in your pocket- One of the most common habits is to keep one’s phone in the pant pocket. However, this habit can affect the quality of the sperm and can also decrease sperm motility. “Studies have shown that the radiation emitted from phones could cause DNA damage to sperm and heat from a phone could raise the temperature inside your scrotum and hamper sperm quality,” said Dr Walavalkar.

3. Drinking excessively and smoking– Both these habits can be extensively harmful to the male reproductive system. Cells in the testes, those making sperm and those producing the male hormone testosterone are adversely affected. Chronic heavy drinking and smoking can cause shrinkage in testicles, increase the abnormal sperm forms, decrease the sperm count and motility and are associated with increased sperm DNA damage.

3 lifestyle habits that ruin the chances of pregnancy in women:

“Although it is important to have a healthy diet schedule, it is imperative to refrain from vices and lifestyle habits such as these for a healthy pregnancy,” said Dr Anagha Karkhanis, Director of Cocoon Fertility.

1. Smoking- Smoking is seen as a potential health risk for a woman before and during pregnancy. Smoking increases the risk of miscarriages and adversely affects hormone production and the environment in the uterus. Risk of IUGR ( intrauterine growth restriction ) for the baby is very high as is the risk of pre-eclampsia for the mother.

2. Alcohol- “Although cutting out alcohol when trying to conceive is a sensible recommendation, pre-conception alcohol intake can decrease chances of spontaneous pregnancy and also the success of fertility treatments. Drinking causes disruption to menstrual cycles, affects the quality of egg, reduced chances of fertilisation, lowered hormone concentrations and increased risk of miscarriage and foetal anomalies,” said Dr Karkhanis.

3. Stress– In today’s fast-paced society, stress is common among most women but this can reduce her conception chances. Stress can disrupt the functioning of the hypothalamus which is the gland in the brain that regulates your hormones. This, in turn, affects the ovulatory cycle which can cause menstrual and ovulatory irregularities.

Image Source: Shutterstock

Published : August 7, 2018 4:18 pm

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