The majority of injuries occur in healthy men of reproductive age (30 year old average), when sexuality and fertility are affected. Depending on the degree of injury, men often report a decreased sexual desire and problems with erection and ejaculation, making the wish for children often seem impossible. Many factors may predispose spinal cord injured men to infertility. Ejaculatory dysfunction, abnormalities of sperm production, chronic infections and blockage of sperm within the male reproductive tract are all potential factors.
Because the majority of people suffering from spinal cord injuries are men of reproductive age, the question of fertility is a very important one. Women may experience an interruption in ovulation for a year or so after their injury, but then their ovulation and hormonal levels generally return to normal. For men, however, spinal cord injuries can result in a permanent loss of fertility.
The pressures of infertility for these men can add a great deal of stress to an already difficult situation. Many men with spinal cord injuries can achieve erections sufficient to perform intercourse, depending on the completeness of their injury. However, we have categorized injury into two major categories.
– Direct
– Indirect
Direct Category
Testicular or pelvic trauma
A trauma to the testicles, during sport or fight, can cause swelling or bleeding of the testicles, or the vessels and tubes around them. This can cause permanent damage to the blood supply of the testicles and their sperm production capabilities. Torsion or twist of the testicles (twisting of a testicle on its cord) can have a similar effect if it is not treated very quickly with surgery. Viral infections can cause inflammation of the testicles and failure of sperm production. This can be a bit painful condition, where the pain warns you that medical attention is required.
Pelvis injuries range from the benign to life threatening. They include pelvic ring fractures, ace tabular fractures, and avulsion injuries. The majority of pelvis injuries are due to high energy blunt trauma, although frail and elderly patients may sustain such injuries from a low energy mechanism.
Heat
Excessive heat in the yin phrase is defined as a condition in which the body temperature of the women is higher than normal. It can be caused either by deficiency of yin or excessive yang in the body, leading to shortened yin phrase. In this article, we will discuss excess heat cause of shortened yin phrase due to kidney yin deficiency.
Symptoms of excess heat pattern
Lower abdomen pain
Lower abdominal pain may be caused by liver function in blood formation and spleen in transporting the blood to the abnormal region, since heat accumulated in the lower abdominal region, it causes abnormal function of spleen, leading to blood stagnation in the abdomen cramps and pain.
Red tongue
Since kidney is responsible in regulating the fluid metabolism, eating hot and spicy food may cause kidney yin deficiency, leading to distorting the kidney function in moistening and lowering the fluids levels in the body, resulting in red tongue.
Dark urine
Since spleen is important in transporting fluid in the body, heat causes abnormal function of spleen, thus decreasing the function of kidney in urinary secretion, leading to dark urine.
Causes of excess heat pattern
Intake of spicy foods
Intake of spicy and hot foods may increase the body temperature that depletes the internal yin and causes liver’s heat to rise and affects the normal function of nervous system in information transmitting between themselves and gland, leading stress, anxiety and emotional and physical stress
Kidney yin deficiency
Kidney yin deficiency causes abnormal function of kidney in regulating the fluids the body tissues, leading to abnormal water retention in the body
Infection or inflammation
Infection or inflammation caused by invasion of bacteria and virus due to weakening immune system in guarding our body from foreign substances, causing heat pattern in the body that affects the kidney yin, leading to its inability to support the normal function of uterus, thus increasing the risk of uterus contraction.
Irradiation
Fertility can be preserved in patients who undergo abdominal RT that excludes the pelvis, taking into account the other treatments are taken into account. When RT includes the pelvis, fertility is frequently impaired and women can have difficulty conceiving. Nevertheless, pregnancies can occur in some of these women. The most important factor that endangers a successful pregnancy after RT is the total dose received by the ovaries and uterus. This radiation dose has to be systematically recorded to improve our ability to follow up patients
InDirect Category
Radiotherapy
In men, sperm production can be reduced if the testicles are in the area being treated, and this can lead to temporary or permanent infertility. Fortunately, it is usually possible to avoid giving radiotherapy to the testicles as part of treatment for the cancers that are most common in younger men. Radiotherapy for prostate or bladder cancers is likely to cause permanently low sperm counts. Even if your treatment is likely to make you infertile, you may be strongly advised to use a reliable form of birth control. If pregnancy occurs during or shortly after radiotherapy, there is a possibility of damage to the baby.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can have varying effects on a man’s fertility; in some situations, the effects of this cancer treatment can lead to short-term infertility while in other cases, chemotherapy can result in long-term male fertility problems. The effects of chemotherapy on male fertility depend on the nature of treatment; namely, the type of drugs used. Also, some men remain infertile after cancer treatment while in others, their sperm production and quality levels return to normal after treatment. This improvement in sperm health can occur either a few months or years after treatment. Some chemotherapy drugs can reduce sperm count, as well as the ability of sperm to fertilize the egg.
Environmental toxins
Phthalates are proven to reduce both male and female infertility. If you are trying to conceive then please check out the cosmetics you use at the Skin Deep Database. If you are using drug store toiletries or grooming products then odds are good that you are absorbing phthalates through your skin. Phthalates are found in cosmetics, deodorants, medical devices and toys. You are the only one who can protect yourself, your fertility and your unborn child. Nobody else is monitoring the safety of cosmetics, hair care, skin care or other personal care products. Buy organic! Go a step further and make your own grooming products from food grade ingredients. It bears repeating. No one else is looking out for your fertility but you.
Drugs
If you and your partner are having difficulties conceiving, then you are probably eager to find out if you are suffering from an underlying fertility problem. Sometimes, infertility can be the result of reproductive issues caused by the use of recreational and prescription drugs. Though you may not realize it, drugs including steroids, alcohol, and tobacco, can have a very negative on both the male and female reproductive systems. In fact, it is believed that drug use plays a role in a large percentage of many of unexplained fertility cases. Drugs that are prescribed to help manage and treat certain illnesses and diseases can sometimes have a negative affect on both male and female fertility. If you are trying to conceive, it is important to speak with your health care provider about the possible effects that your prescribed medication may have on your fertility. Drugs including steroid shots, high blood pressure medication, and antidepressants can all negatively affect the reproductive system. The most common side effect of these medications is loss of libido; however, some of these medications can also lead to:
• Lowered sperm count
• Erectile dysfunction
• Reduced libido
• Abnormally-shaped sperm
• Poor sperm count
