Oligospermia is a small number of sperm. Common
causes include:
Hormonal problems:
that are more often a cause of oligospermia than azoospermia.
Obstruction: which
can cause oligospermia and azoospermia.
Side effects of drug
treatments: such as sulfasalazine, which is used in the
treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (may cause reversible
oligospermia).
Environmental factors:such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can adversely affect
sperm production. Frequent hot baths or saunas may also reduce the sperm
count, since the testes are normally maintained at a temperature about 1theC
below body temperature. Hyperthermia caused by viral infections can also
cause a usually temporary reduction in sperm count.
Infection: is a
recognized cause of male infertility. The presence of alkaline semen and
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 become sterile.
In some cases, the sperm are malformed or its lifespan
after ejaculation is too short for them to travel far enough to reach the
egg. Defects in sperm may be due to a blockage or damage to the sperm
channels, usually due to a sexually transmitted disease, such as gonorrhoea.
Varicocele (see below) can also be a factor. Abnormal development of the
testes due to a change disruption, as hypogonadism (see Sperm
Abnormalities), Can also cause defective sperm. Toxins in cigarettes and
various drugs can also reduce the sperm count.
