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Reduced Sperm
Oligospermia: Reduced Sperm
Oligospermia is a reduced number of spermatozoa.
Common causes include:- Hormonal problems: which are
more often a cause of oligospermia than
azoospermia.
- Obstruction: which can cause
oligospermia as well as azoospermia.
- Side effects of drug
treatments: such as sulphasalazine, which is used in the
treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (can cause reversible
oligospermia).
- Environmental factors: such
as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, can adversely affect
sperm production. Frequent hot baths or saunas could also reduce
sperm count, as the testes are normally maintained at a temperature
about 1oC below body temperature. Hyperthermia as a result of viral
infections may also cause a usually temporary reduction in sperm
count.
- Infection: which is a
recognized cause of male infertility. The presence of an alkaline
semen and of pus cells in the ejaculate is very significant in its
diagnosis, and treatment with appropriate antibiotics usually
restores fertility, unless the infection is so severe that the
patient has been rendered sterile.
In some cases, the sperm are malformed or their lifespan after
ejaculation is too short for them to travel far enough to reach the
egg. Defects in the sperm may be due to a blockage of, or damage
to, the spermatic ducts, usually due to a sexually transmitted
disease such as gonorrhoea. A varicocele (see below) may also be a
factor. Abnormal development of the testes due to an endocrine
disorder, such as hypogonadism (see Sperm Abnormalities), may also cause
defective sperm. Toxins, cigarettes or various drugs can all lower
the sperm count.
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