If you're trying to conceive a child, fertility may be a concern. Male fertility can be affected by a variety of factors, such as your diet and lifestyle. To increase fertility, work on being as healthy as possible. Cut out certain behaviors, like binge drinking and smoking. If you're still concerned with your fertility, go to a doctor and have an evaluation. Medical intervention may be necessary to correct any problems with infertility.
EditSteps
EditMaintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
- Eat a healthy diet. Your diet can have a big impact on all aspects of your overall health, including your fertility. Eat a balanced diet rich in healthy foods to help get your fertility on track.[1][2]
- Make sure to include healthy foods from all major food groups. Your diet should be a mix of a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy. Cook your foods in a healthy fashion. Bake and grill foods instead of frying them, for example.
- Nutritionists recommend that you try and make half of your plate vegetables at each meal. This will increase your fiber intake and overall wellbeing.
- Antioxidants may increase sperm count.[3] Try adding antioxidant-rich foods to your diet, such as berries, pears, apples, asparagus, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and nuts.[4]
- Exercise regularly to boost sperm count. Regular physical activity can help your overall health, which could cause an increase in fertility. If you're trying to increase fertility, work on developing a healthy exercise routine; however, you may want to avoid certain activities. While more studies are needed, research has linked a drop in fertility to certain forms of physical exercise.[5]
- Some studies indicate biking may cause a drop in fertility. Very strenuous forms of exercise, such as training for a triathlon, may also cause a drop in fertility.
- Stick to lighter, consistent physical activity to boost your fertility.
- Work on maintaining or achieving a healthy weight. Being underweight, overweight or obese may reduce sperm count and increase the likelihood of producing abnormal sperm; therefore, work on getting to a normal weight if you're over- or underweight for your height.[6]
- Talk to your doctor about how to get to a good weight. You may need to eat more or less depending on whether you need to gain or lose weight. It's best to have your doctor monitor your weight loss or gain to make sure it's done in a healthy fashion.
- Keep your stress under control. Not only can stress interfere with your sexual health, high levels of stress can cause changes in hormones that affect sperm production, reducing fertility. If you have a high-stress lifestyle, take steps to reduce stress. This can potentially cause an increase in fertility.[7][8]
- Reach out to people socially on a regular basis. Regular social interaction can greatly reduce your stress level. Hang out with friends and family members who are pleasant and engaging.
- Avoid unnecessary stress. Do not agree to commitments you cannot fulfill. Stay away from people who stress you out. If something on the news stresses you out, avoid reading about it.
- Try to have perspective. In moments when you feel stressed out, pause and think, "How will I feel about this in a day? In a week?" Chances are, a lot of your problems are blown out of proportion unnecessarily.
- Prevent sexually transmitted infections. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can have an adverse effect on fertility. If you're not sure if you have an STI, get tested at your doctor's office. If you test positive for anything, have it treated right away.[9]
- Take measures to prevent STIs if you want to protect your fertility. Always use latex condoms during sex. You can also practice monogamy by only sleeping with one partner, as this can reduce your risk of contracting an STI.
- Take a multivitamin. Daily multivitamin supplements contain vitamins C and E, as well as a good supply of other essential nutrients for male reproductive health. Some research suggests a daily multivitamin may increase your sperm count.[10]
- Choose a multivitamin that also contains selenium, zinc, and folate, which have been linked to healthy sperm production.
- While there is little evidence that a daily multivitamin is harmful, you should always check with your doctor before taking one. You want to make sure a multivitamin is safe for you given your current health and any existing medications.
EditAvoiding Certain Behaviors
- Quit smoking. Tobacco and secondhand smoke causes reduced sperm count in men. To increase sperm count and potentially increase fertility, work to cut back or quit smoking altogether. Avoid locations with concentrated secondhand smoke.[11]
- Quitting smoking can be extremely difficult, so reach out to a doctor for help. A qualified doctor can work on a healthy, safe way to taper you off tobacco products.
- Seek out support. Ask friends and loved ones to support you in your effort to quit smoking. There are also support groups, online and in-person, that seek to help people quit tobacco products.
- Drink alcohol only in moderation. Men who consume high amounts of alcohol often have lower sperm counts. If you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Stick to one or two drinks a night, if any. If you do not drink, do not start.[12]
- If you believe you have a drinking problem, this may be affecting your sperm count. Talk to a doctor or therapist about how to best quit alcohol.
- Refrain from using marijuana. The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, has been shown to reduce sperm count. It can also weaken sexual drive, which can reduce overall fertility. If you're looking to increase your sperm count, you should limit or eliminate your use of marijuana.[13]
- Avoid excessive heat. While studies are still inconclusive, some evidence exists that an excess of heat around the groin can lower sperm count. If you're looking to increase fertility, try to stay cool as much as possible. Be particularly aware of the temperature of your groin region.[14]
- Try wearing loose-fitting clothing around the groin, such as loose underwear and shorts.
- Reduce the amount of time you spend in hot baths, saunas, and hot tubs. Avoid using your laptop on your lap. Instead, set it on a solid surface.
- Limit exposure to harmful chemicals or rays. Exposure to heavy metals, radiation or x-rays, and pesticides have been shown to decrease sperm production and even cause infertility in men. If you work with chemicals or around environmental pollutants, wear protective clothing at all times to protect yourself.[15]
EditSeeking Medical Help
- Talk to your doctor about your prescription medications. A wide variety of prescription medications can interfere with fertility. If you're concerned about your fertility, talk to your doctor about any existing medications. See if anything you're taking is having an adverse effect on your fertility, and whether you can try a different medication.[16]
- Medications used to treat anxiety and depression may have an effect on sperm count.
- Certain medications used to treat an enlarged prostate can also cause fertility issues.
- Medications used for fungal infections may also adversely affect fertility.
- See a doctor if you suspect infertility. Infertility is a medical condition in which the body does not produce viable sperm. If you suspect you're infertile, make an appointment with your doctor for evaluation. Your doctor will do a physical examination of the external genitalia and skin, semen analysis and may test for autoantibodies and other biochemical derangements, sperm chromatin and DNA analysis, do genetic testing for the CFTR gene, and endocrine tests.
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- Difficulty achieving an erection, a lower sex drive, and problems with overall sexual function
- Pain, discomfort, or a lump around the testicles
- Recent surgery around the groin
- A history of sexual problems, or problems with the prostate
- Treat any existing infections. If you have any STIs, seek treatment right away. A round of antibiotics may be necessary to treat a sexually transmitted infection. If your fertility issues are caused by an STI, treatment will be necessary to correct the issue. Talk to your doctor about the right treatments, and ask him or her about anything else you need to do to restore fertility.[18]
- Discuss hormonal treatments. Hormonal treatments are occasionally used to correct fertility issues. If your doctor finds you have a hormonal imbalance affecting fertility, talk to him or her about your options in terms of hormonal treatments.[19]
- High or low levels of certain hormones can affect fertility. Synthetic replacement hormones can help correct this problem.
- Your doctor will determine which hormones will be most helpful to correct your issues.
- Endocrine abnormalities include the following: androgen receptor issues, low serum testosterone and high FSH or LH levels. Your
- Have surgery, if necessary. In rare cases, infertility is caused by damage to the reproductive organs. If your doctor determines this is the case, they may recommend surgery. Your doctor will go over your specific surgery with you, and give you the details about things like the procedure and recovery time.[20]
EditVideo
EditTips
- Sometimes simply the stress associated with trying to increase fertility can cause reproductive health problems. Focus on improving your health and improved fertility will likely follow.
EditWarnings
- Do not take supplements and medications marketed for improving fertility except under the instruction of a health professional. Such supplements are typically not moderated by the FDA and may contain dangerous ingredients or substances that can interact with prescription drugs or medical conditions.
EditSources and Citations
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