Causes for Unhealthy semen

Ayurveda Acharya charaka explains causes for unhealthy semen as follows

1. Increased frequency of sexual intercourse leads to shukra kshaya or reduced quantity of semen.
2. When a person gets physically exerted due to exercises beyond his capacity his dhatus get affected and the end product of dhatu i.e shukra dhatu looses nourishment. This may result in low sperm count and motility.
3. Consumption of unwholesome food, which can not nourish sapta dhatu or body tissues, leads to production of low quality of shukra or semen.
4. Foods which are very bitter, astringent, salty, sour and spicy when consumed, reduce quality and quantity of semen
5. Semen can become unhealthy due to Old age, chronic diseases, worry, stress and depression.
5. Injuries to testes (trauma, cauterization,ets) can lead to low sperm count and motility
6. Some Acute and chronic diseases can destroy semen producing tissues affecting semen production.

What happens when testes are exposed to heat ?

The testes are two glandular organs, which produce sperms and semen. They are suspended in the scrotum by the spermatic cords. Testes are suspended outside the abdominal cavity in the scrotum because the internal body temperature is too high for the sperms to survive. The normal temperature in the scrotum is 2-3°F below normal body temperature. Prolonged or repeated exposure to heat damages sperm count and sperm motility. In all quality of semen gets affected due to heat.

According to ayurveda the constitution of testes is explained as " Maamsa asruk kapha medaha prasaadaadwavrushanaha" which means The two testes are made up of muscles, blood , fat and their derivatives .Kapha is dominant dosha of testes. Kapha dosha helps in production of healthy sperms with good motility. Increased heat reduces kapha . Reduction in kapha affects the production of healthy sperms. Because of this, it has been advised by Ayurveda acharyas to avoid exposure of testes to heat. It has been recommended to wear cold loose cloth over groin and testes during steam bath and wash testes with cold water after a long hot water bath. This process help to protect the dominant dosha (kapha) of testes and help in normal production of sperms.

For this reason stay away from wearing tight briefs, tight pants and avoid hot tubs and saunas to improve sperm count and sperm motility

Low Sperm Count May Be Associated With Prenatal Testosterone Excess

Low Sperm Count May Be Associated With Prenatal Testosterone Excess

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923082158.htm

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2008) — Exposure to an excess of sexual steroids, like testosterone, during fetal development may be a potential risk factor for low sperm count and motility, according to a new study.

"The majority of disorders affecting sperm count in humans are originated during fetal life," said Professor Sergio Recabarren of the University of Concepcion in Chillan, Chile and lead author of the study. "A developing fetus is very vulnerable to its environment, and when that environment is exposed to excess sexual steroids, it may have a significant deleterious effect on a male offspring's fertility."

Marijuana smoking damages sperm

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4482.php
Men who smoke marijuana frequently damage their fertility in several different ways, research suggests.

Scientists at Buffalo University found regular smokers had significantly less seminal fluid, and a lower sperm count.

Their sperm were also more likely to swim too fast too early, leading to burn-out before they reach the egg.

Lead researcher Dr Lani Burkman said: 'The bottom line is, the active ingredients in marijuana are doing something to sperm.'

Marijuana contains several chemicals known to have an impact on human physiology, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

The researchers believe that THC may disrupt the way sperm swim, or it may block mechanisms designed to weed out malfunctioning sperm.

Sunny holidays 'hit sperm count'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6688963.stm

Going abroad for a relaxing holiday before trying for a baby may not be a good idea, fertility experts say. Officials at the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridgeshire say soaking up the sun in tight trunks may be one of the worst preparations for fathering a child.

Australian research has shown that too much heat can reduce sperm count and slow down the surviving sperm.

But other experts cast doubt on the claims, although they said it may be wise to be cautious.

Many couples feel that a foreign break improves their chances of conceiving by allowing them to relax fully.

However, sperm takes eight weeks to mature in the testes, and during that period, is vulnerable to any changes in temperature.

The testes naturally hang outside the body to keep them cool, and confining them in tight underwear, or dipping them in the hot tub may not be a good idea, it is claimed.

Dr Thomas Mathews, the Medical Director at Bourn Hall, the world's first assisted conception clinic, said: "We find that at an initial consultation men may have a normal sperm count, but in some cases this has declined when we check again before treatment, which may be several months later.

"It is only recently that it has occurred to us that there may be a seasonal effect at work."

Hot baths
He said experiments had found that exposing the testes to heat over long periods led to a decreased sperm count.

In the 1950s, it was even suggested that regular hot baths could be a successful contraceptive.

Modern IVF methods do not require large numbers of viable sperm, as a single sperm can be used to fertilise an egg, in a process called ICSI.

The Australian research on animals found that heating the testes caused cell death, and a subsequent reduction in the numbers of sperm in the semen.

In addition, the sperm that were present had a reduced swimming ability, and might therefore be less capable of fertilisation.

But Sheffield University fertility expert Dr Allan Pacey said: "If this was a major effect, I think we would see people having problems conceiving in every country in the Tropics.

"However, it's worth being cautious, as there is some evidence that scrotal heating can have an effect on DNA quality in sperm."

Posted by Dr.Savitha Suri Ayurveda help through ayurveda consultations

Stress on health

Stress on health

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/04/07/stories/2005040701500100.htm

THIRTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD RADHA is your typical middle-class working mother. Mother of two children studying in the third and fifth standards, her worst fear in life is the milkman or the maid not showing up in the morning.

"I have so many things to do in the morning. Cook, clean, dress up the kids, pack lunchboxes, put the kids in the school van, send my husband to work and then myself go to work. I just lose it when something goes wrong," she says. That is if the milkman or the maid fails to show up, the utensils, the kids and the husband pay the price for it.

Twenty-two-year-old Richard passed out of college a year back. He now works on night shift in a call centre. After a long night dealing with irate credit card users, he longs to get some sleep in the morning. But morning is the time when his house is buzzing with activity.

"I just can't get sleep in the morning. There is so much noise. Everyone wants to do everything in the morning. So I end up sleeping just five hours a day," he complains. His workload and lack of sleep have ensured that his temper is always on a short fuse. But anger is the least of his problems; he suffers from everything, indigestion to anaemia.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old Amit, an art director with an advertising agency, has problems of a different kind. Married for two years, his wife was unable to conceive. Worried, Amit and his wife went to a fertility clinic where doctors found that Amit had very low sperm count, coupled with erectile dysfunction.

All three mentioned above — Radha, Richard and Amit — suffer from excessive stress. And today on World Health Day, it is America's number one and Bangalore's growing healthcare problem.

There are no reliable numbers available for people suffering from high stress levels in the city, but it is believed that over 75 per cent Americans have "great stress" once a week.

High stress levels lead to a range of health problems in addition to accompanying psychological problems. And the number one source remains job stress, though stress levels have increased in all sections of the society. "We cannot live without stress. Our body is always stressed but it is high levels of stress that lead to various problems. We are stressed while running, but the stress is anticipated. When you have emotional upsets or suppressed anger, then you start doing some real damage to the heart because the strain lasts for a longer time and is repeated over and over again. It hastens build-up of cholesterol in the coronary arteries and weakens the heart muscles," warns K.S.S. Bhat, Consultant Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, and President of the Indian College of Cardiology.

Though the heart is one of the first organs to be affected by excessive stress, symptoms are first noticed when the behaviour of a person changes. Classic symptoms include insomnia, low energy levels, feeling of inadequacy, decreased concentration levels, social withdrawal, excessive anger, self-pity and tearfulness. Marital relations are often the first to be affected by this drastic change in behaviour.

"Often people come back so tired from work they are reluctant to have sex. But it is interpreted as not liking the partner. Also, as stress levels increase, it leads to impotence. About one-third cases of erectile dysfunction are due to stress. So sex takes a backseat and the relationship suffers," says Vinod Chebbi, psychotherapist and sex and marriage counsellor.

He also points out to another interesting source of stress that prevents people from enjoying sex:

"In India, there is great stress to become pregnant after marriage. The pressure from relatives often becomes so unbearable that sex becomes an act for just having a child. If it fails, the couple go to the extent of even seeking donor semen or fertility treatment," says Dr. Chebbi.

Both Dr. Chebbi and Dr. Bhat prefer to relieve that extra stress without medication. Exercise, regular food habits and good time management is the mantra, they say.

"There is nothing like a brisk walk in the morning or evening," says Dr. Bhat.

And to solve marital stress, Dr. Chebbi advises: "The couple must spend time together. They must get used to each other and enjoy time together. About 95 to 97 per cent of stress-related sex can be treated with just non-drug therapy."


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Fast lane to perdition

IF YOU'RE one of the lucky few who've coped well so far, here are some wicked tips to help you join mainstream society:

Never exercise

Eat anything you want

Gain weight

Take plenty of stimul-ants (nicotine, caffeine and alcohol)

Get rid of your social support system (friends)

Personalise all criticism

Throw out your sense of humour

Males and females alike — be macho

Become a workaholic

Discard good time-management skills

Procrastinate

Worry about things you can't control (tsunamis, earthquakes and Osama Bin Laden)

Become not only a perfectionist but also set impossibly high standards for yourself