Smoking, vaping or alcohol consumption are three of the most common habits amongst men. However, what they fail to understand is that the joys of smoking/vaping or excessive alcohol intake can have lasting impact on health and fertility. Read this article by IVF experts of the best IVF centre in Delhi – Gunjan IVF World on how they impact fertility in men.
Does smoking, vaping or excessive alcohol consumption affect fertility in men?
Fertility in men largely depends on the health of the sperm – its count, morphology and motility. Lifestyle habits like smoking, vaping or alcohol consumption can have negative affect on male fertility.
Impact of smoking & vaping on male fertility
One of the most common lifestyle habits, smoking or vaping has a major impact on male fertility. Smoking introduces thousands of harmful chemicals like nicotine, lead, cadmium and carcinogens into the body, which impair sperm health,” says Dr. Gunjan Gupta, well-known gynaecologist Ghaziabad and the Founder & Medical Director of Gunjan IVF World – a leading IVF centre in Indirapuram. Gunjan IVF World is also the three times winner of North India’s best IVF clinic chain award by Economic Times and has highly advanced centres at Ghaziabad, Janakpuri, Noida and Meerut.
- Lower sperm count: Men who smoke or vape usually have significantly lower sperm concentration. Fewer healthy sperm decreases the chances of successful fertilisation
- Poor sperm motility: Chemicals present in cigarette smoke or vapes damage the tail structure of sperm, which makes it harder for them to swim to the egg for fertilisation
- Abnormal shape of sperm: Smoking and vaping can cause defects in the size and shape of sperm. Sperm with abnormal structure find it difficult to penetrate the egg, reducing the likelihood of conception
- DNA damage: It is a well-known fact that sperm DNA fragmentation is high in smokers and vapers. DNA damaged sperm make conception difficult, increases the risk of miscarriage and leads to potential genetic anomalies
- Erectile dysfunction: Long-term smoking or vaping affects blood vessels and increases the risk of erectile dysfunction, which indirectly impacts fertilit
Impact of excessive alcohol consumption
“Excessive drinking of alcohol can affect the hormones and organs involved in sperm production. Regular drinking of alcohol significantly affects fertility,” mentioned Dr. Garima Sharma, Centre In-Charge & Consultant at Gunjan IVF World – the best IVF clinic in Janakpuri.
- Hormonal imbalance: Alcohol consumption can lead to irregularities of hormone production. Lower testosterone production can come in the way of sperm production, sexual performance and libido
- Impaired sperm health: Chronic use of alcohol can harm the testes and lower sperm count and quality
- Abnormal sperm morphology and motility: Like smoking, excessive drinking can also lead to issues with sperm structure and motility. It can reduce the ability of the sperm to fertilise an egg
- Reduced semen volume: Heavy drinking of alcohol can lead to reduction in the semen volume
Can fertility improve post quitting?
It is a well-known fact that post quitting smoking, vaping or drinking, sperm regenerate every 70-90 days. The positive changes that happen include higher sperm count, better shaped & motile sperm, improved hormone levels, etc.
