Caution For Testicular Cancer Survivors!

Testicular cancer is the most common type of cancer in young men ages 15 to 35. Early detection is critical because testicular cancer typically grows quickly and begins to spread to other parts of the body just a few months after the first symptoms appear. But treated early, it is almost 100 percent curable.

Recent studies stated that long-term testicular cancer survivors who received treatment with cisplatin-based chemotherapy are experiencing more severe side effects such as neurological and Raynaud-like phenomena when compared to men who were not received chemotherapy.

Side effects include: tinnitus, sensory neuropathy, Raynaud-like phenomena (Discoloration of the hands or feet on exposure to cold), and hearing impairment.

Researchers found that at 4 to 21 years after starting the treatment for testicular cancer, men who were received chemotherapy were at considerably higher risk for greater risk of all assessed symptoms when compared to men who were not received chemotherapy.

Men received chemotherapy were suffering from more severe hearing impairment when measured with audiometry than those who were under dose-intensive therapy.

Finally, the study said that the main aim of testicular cancer treatment is to reduce the toxic effects without negotiating the high cure rate.

What Increases The Risk Of Male Infertility?

There are various factors that can increase the risk of a man’s infertility. A man’s sperm can be affected by his overall health and lifestyle.

Here are few things that may reduce the health or number of sperm:

• Illegal usage of drugs


• Heavy consumption of alcohol


• Increased age, men older than 35 may have a gradual decline in fertility


• Usage of medicines for other illnesses


• Receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer


• Cigarette smoking


• Other health problems like hormonal problems, mumps, or serious conditions like kidney disease


• Exposure to environmental toxins, including lead and pesticides


• Psychological disorders like emotional stress, anxiety, depression and social pressure


• Taking anabolic steroids


• Occupational exposure to pesticides, excessive heat and various other chemicals


• Medical conditions like Thyroid disorders, Disorders of adrenal glands, Diabetes, Disorders of pituitary gland, genetic diseases, Liver or kidney failure and HIV/AIDS


• Being overweight or too thin


• Prostate infections


• Celiac disease


• Defect or obstruction in the reproductive system (anarchism, cryptorchidism)


• Hormone dysfunction (caused by disorder in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis)


• Injury (e.g., testicular trauma)


• Undescended testicles
  

Effects Of STDs On Your Fertility!

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD)! Are you having problems in getting pregnant?

Then immediately set up an appointment with your doctor and get tested your sexual health.

You and your partner get tested for STDs and ensure that you are in good sexual health before trying to conceive.

It is very important to monitor your sexual health and be aware of STDs, particularly when you are trying to conceive.

Having regular tests can prevent fertility problems and prevent the infections and STDs from spreading further.

So, whenever you are planning to conceive, get yourself and your partner tested immediately.

Types of STDs and their effects on your fertility:

Most often, STDs are greatly related to infertility. There are various types of STDs that can cause serious life-threatening reactions to less serious ones. If you think that you have an STD, get treated immediately. Leaving STDs untreated can cause various effects on your fertility.

Chlamydia: Most common STD and every year, it affects millions of men and women. This is due to the bacteria existed in vaginal fluid or semen. This disease is transmitted through sexual intercourse. If the condition is untreated, it can cause infertility and also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. It can cause damage to the fallopian tubes and makes it impossible for pregnancy to occur.

HIV/AIDS: HIV virus causes AIDS. This disease is transmitted through sexual intercourse and by sharing needles, blood transfusion and also through blood milk.

Gonorrhea: It is caused by a bacterium, which live in body fluids and transmitted through sexual intercourse. Gonorrhea leads to infertility and also pelvic inflammatory diseases.

Herpes: This STD is transmitted through skin to skin contact. Herpes can cause burning, itching of your anus and genitals.

Syphilis: Transmitted through sexual contact from an infected person. If the disease is detected in early stages, it can be treated effectively. If it is left untreated, it can lead to conditions like blindness and also some psychological disorders.

Trichomaniasis: Most common STD transmitted through sexual contact. The disease can lead to swelling of the fallopian tubes and makes it impossible for pregnancy to occur and finally leads to infertility.

Pubic lice: Also known as crabs and look like small and parasitic insects. These stick to the hair over your body that is on pubic hair. Crabs can cause irritation and itching of the skin at affected area.

Hepatitis B: Transmitted through sexual intercourse, by sharing the needles and infected blood. Symptoms of hepatitis B include: fever, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. This is a most serious disease and can cause liver damage.

ICSI Procedure – Modern Fertilization Treatment

ICSI or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection is a very delicate and difficult IVF procedure.

The initial stages of ICSI are very much similar to IVF.

ICSI is an effective method to get fertilization of the eggs in IVF lab after they have been retrieved from your partner.

ICSI along with IVF includes the use of specific micro-manipulation tools and ICSI needle to collect the sperm.

Then carefully, the needle is inserted through the outer shell of the egg and then sperm is injected into the inner part of the egg. Usually, this procedure leads to normal fertilization in about 70-80% of the couple who seek ICSI procedure.

Woman who want to seek ICSI procedure are first prescribed with medications that stimulate the ovulation and undergo an egg retrieval procedure. These eggs can be used for IVF and ICSI.

Who can seek ICSI procedure?

There are no standard conditions that restrict the use of ICSI procedure. Some doctors prescribe it for severe male factor infertility, while some others prescribe it for all infertility cases.

Usually, IVF with ICSI is prescribed for:

• Couples with infertility who have sperm concentration under 15-20 million per millimeter, sperm mortality below 35% and poorer sperm morphology.


• Couples who have rigorous male factor infertility, who don’t want to seek donor sperm insemination.


• Couples who are currently seeking IVF and have had previous cycle with no fertilization or decreased fertilization.


• Couples who are currently seeking IVF and have very little yield of eggs.

The process of ICSI:

• Any one of the mature eggs is seized by using a holding pippet.


• With the help of a sharp, hallow and delicate needle, a single sperm is immobilized and collected.


• Then the needle is carefully inserted into the egg shell and then into the cytoplasm of your egg.


• After inserting the sperm into the cytoplasm, the needle is removed carefully.


• The next day after this process, your eggs are observed to confirm normal fertilization.

Success rate of ICSI:

Success rate of IVF with ICSI is more than IVF without ICSI. Usually, egg quality and quantity is better in ICSI cases. Also, there are less likely to occur problems with ICSI when compared to the cases with unexplained infertility.

Success rate of ICSI greatly varies depending on the individual needs. Sometimes, IVF with ICSI is recommended for egg factor cases such as low ovarian reserve conditions. That means having low quantity of eggs or low quality eggs.

Is It Andropause Or Male Menopause?

Most of you are aware of menopause that women normally experience, but did you know that men too experience menopause.

Andropause is nothing but male menopause. It strikes man’s life at an age of 40-55 due to a decrease in male hormone called as testosterone. Andropause causes night sweats in men.

Unlike women, hormonal changes in men take place gradually. Effects of these hormonal changes are subtle. Similar to women, men also behave oddly in their late ages and seem lethargic.

Along with women, men are also victims of hormonal imbalances. Hormonal changes cause various bodily changes in men such as fatigue, changes in attitudes, lack of energy, mood changes, unable to participate in sexual intercourse and physical agility.

Apart from these conditions, decrease in testosterone can put men at risk various other health problems such as weak bones and heart disease.

Though menopause strikes every man’s life, some lifestyle factors such as psychological stress, medications, infections, obesity, surgery, alcohol and tobacco use can contribute to its early onset.

Andropause – What causes it?

Usually, male menopause strikes at about age 30. Levels of testosterone hormone decrease by 10 percent for every decade. Simultaneously, another hormone named sex binding hormone globulin or SHBG start increasing. This hormone traps greater amounts of testosterone that is still circulating and makes it unavailable to exert its effects in the body’s tissues.

How importance is testosterone in man’s life?

Still it is not clear that whether all the men go through this phase or not and also the cause is unknown why only some men experience this condition.

Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is responsible for generation and release of sperm. Also, testosterone provides muscular strength and it has a major role in initiating sexual desire in men.

Andropause – What are the symptoms?

Low testosterone levels can produce variety of changes in man’s life. They include:

• Sleep problems


• Erectile dysfunction


• Increased body fat


• Mood changes like irritability, depression and feeling tired


• Low sex drive


• Osteoporosis


• Loosing muscle size and strength


• Memory loss


• Unable to concentrate
  

Is it andropause or male menopause?

This condition is also called as ADAM i.e. androgen deficiency of the aging male. It differs from a condition of female menopause in which the symptoms occur rapidly or female menopause is termed as sudden change. But, in men the change is very gradual and is difficult to recognize.

Erectile Dysfunction – What Men Should Known About?

Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called as impotence is the inability to keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. This condition can strike a man’s life at any stage, but it is more common in men over 65.

There are various physical causes that can lead to erectile dysfunction. They include:

• Fatigue


• Tobacco and alcohol use


• Hypogonadism (A condition that leads to lower testosterone levels)


• Multiple sclerosis


• Stroke


• Kidney or liver failure


• Parkinson’s disease


• Some kind of bladder or prostate surgery


• Spinal cord damage


• Brain injuries


• Radiation therapy to the testicles
  

Medicines such as antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, antidepressants, appetite suppressants, ulcer drugs, etc can cause ED like side effects.

Along with the above causes, there are some medical conditions that cause erectile dysfunction include:

• Hypertension


• Diabetes


• Heart disease


• Atherosclerosis
  

Not maintaining blood pressure and blood sugar under control can lead to get erectile dysfunction. So, you need to take medicines for these problems to keep under control.

Hormones becoming out of balance can also cause erectile dysfunction and medicinal drugs also.

Problems associated with your sexual partner can also cause ED. So, it is essential to improve your relationship for your successful sex life. If you want to undergo therapy, it will be most beneficial if you participate with your sex partner also.

Experts believe that psychological factors such as feelings can also lead to erectile dysfunction. They include:

• Feeling depressed


• Feeling stressed such as work stress and family stress


• Experiencing problems with your sex partner


• Feeling worried about sex due to a bad experience


• Feeling so embarrassed that you can’t enjoy sex
  

Diagnosis of this problem includes blood test and your doctor asks you some queries about your sex life.

Treating erectile dysfunction:

Treatment for erectile dysfunction depends on its cause. Your doctor may suggest you some medicines. Some of these medications can also be directly injected into your penis while some others are taken orally. Everybody can not use these medicines, your doctor suggests you whether you are really in need of these medicines.

If you think that these medicines are not suitable for you, then you can use vacuum pump devices or you can also consider surgery. Usually, surgery has one of the three goals, such as:

• Reconstructing the arteries to enhance blood flow to your penis


• Implanting a device that makes penis to become erect


• Blocking veins that cause leakage of blood from penile tissues
  

What Factors Cause Male Infertility?

An estimated of 10-15% of the couple are classified as infertile. In about half the cases male infertility is a factor.

Most common causes of male infertility are impaired sperm production, impaired sperm delivery and testosterone deficiency.

Infertility is the result of some problems that are present at the time of birth or due to the problems that develop in lateral life. Some of the most common causes of male infertility include:

• Injuries, for example, testicular trauma


• Infections such as orchitis, prostatitis, epididymitis


• Diseases such as STDs, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis


• Chemotherapy


• Incorrectly moved or abnormally shaped sperm


• Seminal fluid abnormalities


• Ductal system problems


• Cryptorchidism


• Medications that are used to treat arthritis and high blood pressure


• Hormonal abnormalities due to a disorder in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis


• Metallic disorders such as hemocromatosis


• Testicular cancer


• Systemic diseases such as infection, high fever, kidney disease


• Varicocele


• Cigarette smoking


• Alcohol


• Defects in your reproductive system such as anorchism, cryptorchidism
  

Bladder surgery that is used to treat congenital defect in the bladder or urethra or a disorder that affects your nervous system can lead to retrograde ejaculation. This condition occurs from the injury of the nerves and muscles of the bladder neck that prevent it from closing at the time of ejaculation. Dry or diminished ejaculation and cloudy urine after ejaculation are the signs of this condition.

Testosterone deficiency:

Testosterone deficiency also called as hypogonadism, which exists from birth or may build up later. Causes of this condition are classified according to their location along the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

• First is disturbance in your testicles


• Second is disturbance in your pituitary glands


• Last is disturbance in the hypothalamus
  

Klinefelter syndrome is the most common congenital disorder. An extra X chromosome causes this condition leading to infertility, unwanted facial and body hair and smaller than normal testes.

Testosterone deficiency is also due to congenital hormone diseases such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) deficiency and leutenizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) deficiency.

Acquired causes of hypogonadism include:

• Glandular malformation


• Radiation


• Chemotherapy


• Infections such as mumps, meningitis, syphilis


• Damage to the pituitary gland, testes, or hypothalamus


• Isolated LH deficiency


• Head trauma that affect your hypothalamus


• Tumor of your pituitary gland, testicles or hypothalamus


• Testicular trauma