If you are a smoker and you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for more than a few months without success, it is time that you  put giving up smoking high on your to do list. Increasing your general health and taking a suitable multi vitamin will help too, but giving up smoking is one of the major ways that you can improve your chances of conceiving a baby. Smoking affects male fertility in several ways. Smoking causes damage to the sperm themselves, smoking causes low sperm count, lowers the amount of sperm produced and smoking can also cause impotence.

SMOKING LOWERS SPERM COUNT

The sperm count of men who smoke can be as much as 15% below non smokers. With the average amount of sperm anywhere between 50 million and 150 million per millilitre this could reduce the amount of sperm to nn million per millilitre. A low sperm count can be due to insufficient levels of vitamin B12, vitamin E and zinc. It is known that smoking inhibits the absorbtion of vitamins and minerals and can also disrupt the balance of hormones.

SMOKING AND SPERM MOBILITY

Sperm mobility is the ability of the sperm to travel through the vagina and cervix to reach the egg and achieve fertilisation. The sperm have to be moving forward at a speed quick enough to reach the egg. An average sperm mobility is when 50% of the sperm are moving correctly. Smoking reduces sperm mobility meaning less sperm are able to make the journey to the egg for successful conception.

SMOKING AND IMPOTENCE

The blood in the penis is creates pressure in the muscles, which makes it expand. Anything that interferes with that blood flow has the potential to cause impotence. It is a known fact that smoking can lead to the break down of the blood vessels that carry blood to the penis. Unless blood can flow freely into the penis an erection cannot be maintained. It is therefore extremely important that these blood vessels are in a very healthy condition. Smoking can close up the arteries that lead to the penis and reduce the necessary blood pressure, and obviously if an erection is impossible conception cannot occur.

HOW LONG UNTIL MY SPERM COUNT IMPROVES?

How soon after giving up smoking will my male fertility improve? That is the question all smokers want an answer to! Sperms take approximately 90 days to be produced so in about three months your sperm should show a marked improvement both in the number of sperm that are being produced and their mobility. For more ways to improve your male fertility take a look at Shola Oslo’s “Male Fertility Success”