Prolonged absence of pregnancy leads a married couple to the idea of: going to a doctor to undergo a medical examination. The main analysis of men, allowing to diagnose semen, is a spermogram. It is after such an analysis that pathology - asthenozoospermia - can be revealed. Over 40% of male infertility is associated with this diagnosis. And what is this pathology? This is a deterioration in the quality of sperm, due to a decrease in the number of active spermatozoa in the ejaculate.
Degrees or forms of the disease
WHO gives this classification of spermatozoa:
| Class A | progressively movable, moving straight |
| Class B | progressively weakly moving, moving straight |
| Class C | non-progressively movable with pendulum movement |
| Class D | completely fixed |
The norm forthe fertilization of the egg is considered to be contained in the ejaculate over 20% of male gametes of Class A and over 50% - together A and B. Laboratory studies allow you to establish a correlation classs in the analysis. Based on the findings, the physician determines the degree of asthenozoospermia:
- The first degree of the disease is , a mild form of .Semen contains less than 50% of spermatozoa of classes A and B.
- Second degree - moderate form of .The number of mobile spermatozoa of class A and B is up to 40%.
- Asthenozoospermia of the 3rd degree - pronounced form .With this form of the disease in the ejaculate predominate spermatozoa of classes C and D, but the level of active spermatozoa A and B does not reach 30%.
Is it possible to conceive?
The diagnosed asthenozoospermia is not a sentence of conception. Couples who have experienced this problem are asked: Is it possible to become pregnant with asthenozoospermia?
Fertilization with the sperm of the egg is possible regardless of the degree of disease detected. Therefore asthenozoospermia and pregnancy are two concepts that are not mutually exclusive each other. To ensure the success of fertilization, IVF is used.
The percentage of fertilization directly depends on the number of active spermatozoa in the analysis of the spermogram. If the number of inactive spermatozoons is 80%, then the probability of conception does not exceed 20%.The chances of becoming pregnant increase many times during the IVF procedure.
What are the causes of the pathology?
Doctors continue to study the causes of the disease, which are associated with various processes in the genital area, and beyond. Physicians put forward such reasons:
- congenital sperm defect at the genetic level;
- detrimental effects of alcohol, narcotic and medicinal substances, as well as smoking;
- exposure to electromagnetic and radiation waves;
- long-term presence in places with high and low temperatures( bath, work on frost);
- stressful situations at work;
- abstinence;
- sperm acidification;
- STD( trichomonas, ureaplasmosis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc.);
- decreased immunity;
- inflammatory processes;
- deterioration of the ecological condition of cities.
Is asthenozoospermia treated?
Since astenozoospermia is asymptomatic, a semen laboratory test is necessary. It allows the treating physician to identify the presence of the disease and its degree. According to the data obtained, the causes of the pathology and the list of medications for the correction of the disease are determined.
In 90% of cases, the treatment of asthenozoospermia gives a positive result. The time interval for which the recovery of sperm quality takes place depends on the individual characteristics of the male organism. How to treat asthenozoospermia? The treatment process may include:
- stimulation of spermatogenesis( Pregnil, Horagon, Verona, Trental, Sperm Actin and other drugs at the doctor's discretion);
- antibacterial and hormone therapy;
- physiotherapy and prostate massage;
- application of vitamin complexes, trace elements and immune preparations;
- surgical treatment.
In some cases, the help of the therapy is ineffective, then to become the parents of a married couple it is necessary to resort to IVF.
The lifestyle of a man unquestionably affects the quality of sperm in general: the number of mobile spermatozoa( A and B) and the potential for fertilization. Sometimes it is possible to cure this pathology by starting a healthy lifestyle. The use of foods rich in vitamins and trace elements, regular exercise in recreational physical education, refusal to smoke and alcohol - this is the task facing a man who wants to become a father. Regulation of the regimen of the day and diet is a step towards recovery.
If a genetic mutation is detected as the cause of the disease, the medications will not have a therapeutic effect. For conception in this case, the couple should contact the ECO centers. ECO is a medical way to combat infertility, in which the embryo obtained after fertilization outside the body is transferred to the womb of the woman's uterus.
Traditional medicine in the treatment of
disease Folk remedies in the treatment of asthenozoospermia can have a positive effect only at the initial stages of the disease( 1 and 2).In the detection of inflammatory processes and infections, folk remedies are used in conjunction with drug treatment aimed at eliminating the cause. And here at genetic factors of occurrence of disease to use national means it is senseless as they are not effective.
In folk medicine, therapeutic teas and nutritional supplements containing ginseng root, sage, plantain seeds, lycopene are used. Treated only by folk remedies, disregarding the advice of a doctor, absolutely not.
If drug treatment in the clinic and the use of folk remedies do not have a positive impact on the quality of sperm, the couple is recommended to undergo an IVF procedure.
