Creating another human being requires healthy sperm, but modern society and our changing lifestyles may be hampering our ability to procreate.

Infertility is an increasing trend in this modern age. On one hand, we talk about the growing issues of population, and the need for birth control and family planning, and on the other hand, there are so many couples silently and desperately looking for ways to become biological parents.  Interestingly when we talk about infertility in our society it is often seen that that finger is pointed towards females. However the fact is at least that 50% of the responsibility falls on the male partner who needs to contribute a potent sperm for fertilization.

Here are six important lab tests that can be taken to find out the quality of the sperm.

Fructose Test: The perfect fertilization requires sperms to get nutrition from the seminal plasma in form of fructose and citrate.

Leucocyte Detection Test: Sperms should be protected from bad effects of pus cells and reactive oxygen species.

Sperm Count Test: Sperms should be in sufficient numbers.

Semen Morphology Test: Sperms should be structurally normal to be able to fertilize.

Vitality and HOS Test: Sperm should have intact and functioning membrane to survive harsh environment of vagina and uterine fluid.

Nuclear Chromatic Decondensation Tests: Finally they should have properly packed DNA in the nucleus to be able to transfer the male genes. It is believed that one sperm carries more than 35 MB of information and total ejaculated sperms carry data almost equivalent to seven modern high capacity laptop.

Some factors related to fertility are definitely beyond our control, but it is actually quite surprising how much power we have over the health and vitality of sperm.  The modern working culture, eating habits, and the overall general lifestyle, that may be silently hampering our reproductive capabilities. As a general rule, individuals with low sperm count should visit doctors and other health professionals to determine the cause of the decreased sperm. Having a low sperm count or quality does not mean that one will not be able to father a child. It simply means that adjustments in one's lifestyle or habits should be made to improve the life of sperm cells, which is necessary to ensure successful fertilization.

Here are a few ways you can take care of your sperm:

Like food like sperm

What a man eats daily plays a vital role in the health of sperms. To increase the count and quality of sperms, men should eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Whole grain cereals for example contribute to high sperm concentration and motility. However on the other hand,  men who consume three or more cups of coffee per day have a reduced sperm concentration and total sperm count, as well as lower sperm quality.

 Frequency Matters

Some data shows that optimum semen quality occurs after two to three days of no ejaculation. But other research suggests that men who have normal sperm quality maintain normal sperm motility and concentrations even with daily ejaculation. However, men who ejaculated 4 times or more per month , generally had better sperm morphology.

Wireless technology massacres sperms

Wi-fi, radio frequency, laptops on lap, cell-phone in pant pockets are the regular source of heat and radiation that kill sperms, so it is strongly advised to avoid such situations by not using such devices too close to your body.

Avoid emotional stress

Under mental and emotional stress, sperm count falls to be below normal. This occurs because blood gets routed to the vital organs like the lungs, heart, and brain in moments of stress. And testes get undernourished during prolonged periods of chronic stress.

Cut back on smoke and drink

Drinking may harm the life-giving characteristics of spermatozoa. They may also decrease sperm count, increase abnormal sperm development, reduce the proportion of motile sperm, and also hamper the absorption of nutrients such as zinc, which is one of the most important minerals for male fertility. Smoking may increase the number of free radicals in the body which may damage many cells, including the sperm cells.

Exercise

Exercising is known to have uncountable benefits and also applies to the health of your sperms. People who frequently exercise have more energy, less anxiety, better self-esteem, and increased testosterone levels.

Get out of the hot tub

Hot tubs are really relaxing aren’t they? So are sauna baths. But exposing your testicles to high temperatures for prolonged times can lead to fertility problems. Sperms like cooler conditions, that is why the testicles temperature is seven degree cooler than the body temperature in Fahrenheit.