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The effect of smoking on general health is not a subject of debate — smoking is linked with a high risk of lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease, and other health conditions. But did you know that smoking can also affect your fertility?
Studies show that tobacco toxins are known to take a toll on the health of your entire body, including the reproductive system.
But how exactly does smoking affect male fertility?
Smoking can affect the quality of your sperm in many different ways.
Some of the ways in which smoking can lower your fertility include:
Reduced Sperm Concentration
Sperm concentration can be understood as the number of sperm in a particular amount of semen. Research has shown that smoking can lead to a more than 23 percent reduction in the concentration of sperm in a man's semen.
Unfortunately, this can make a man less fertile.
Sperm Motility
Once the sperm have been released, they have to swim all the way to the fallopian tubes to meet the egg. Sperm motility can simply be understood as the ability of a man's sperm to swim.
Studies have shown that smoking can reduce sperm motility by up to 13 percent, which can negatively affect fertility.
Sperm DNA Damage
Some studies have shown that smoking leads to increased DNA fragmentation in the sperm.
Unfortunately, this can lead to problems with fertilization, implantation, and even embryo development. This means that smoking can significantly increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking can also lead to abnormal hormone levels in men, which also causes a decline in fertility.
Altered Sperm Morphology
Sperm morphology can be understood as the shape of sperm. Sperms have to be shaped in a particular way to swim effectively. Unfortunately, smoking tobacco can negatively alter the shape of a man's sperm, which can make it more difficult for them to swim.
Indeed, studies have shown that male smokers have more oddly shaped sperms than non-smokers, which can explain why smokers might struggle with issues of fertility.
The Bottom Line
Overall, it is apparent that in addition to negatively affecting the general health of a person, smoking can have devastating effects on male fertility. For instance, it can negatively affect the quality of semen by lowering the number of healthy sperm in the semen. Therefore, if you are a smoker struggling with fertility, you may want to consider quitting the habit and leading a healthier lifestyle.