Why does a hot bath make a man infertile? & bull; hello healthy

Infertility is a problem that every one in six couples planning a family have - of all races, ethnicities and backgrounds.

You may be surprised by how much your lifestyle can affect your fertility. From what you eat and drink to how you spend your time, the choices you make can have a real impact on pregnancy planning.

Men who are having difficulty fertilizing their partner may want to avoid hot baths or saunas for a while, according to a study by a team of researchers from the University of Carolina. What is the reason?

Studies show a significant decrease in the amount of sperm produced when the testicles are repeatedly exposed to heat

Research shows that increasing the temperature of the testicles with heat-producing activities around the scrotum - such as taking a hot bath, wearing tight underwear / clothing, sauna, or cycling - can lead to decreased sperm quality and quantity, and even mortality. This can reduce male fertility.

Within reasonable intensity and frequency, these activities will not have a significant effect on sperm. But a man who does have a low sperm count may want to avoid these activities for a while, if he and his partner are planning a pregnancy.

Findings from three years of study support the myth that men should avoid heating their sperm. After analyzing data from sterile men who had been repeatedly exposed to high water temperatures from a hot bath - via a Jacuzzi, or a warm tub - for about 30 minutes per week, they found a strong link to male infertility. In fact, all of the men in the study showed signs of infertility, including impaired sperm production and sperm death.

Other research has shown heat from using laptops and wearing tight clothing can reduce fertility, according to a report from the Journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology. There is also some evidence that heat exposure can damage sperm DNA.

This is the reason why the testes are outside the male body, inside the protection of the scrotum: Sperm are at their best when they are in a cold environment, below normal body temperature.

The infertility effects of a hot bath can be reversed

However, this damage is not permanent. It takes four to six months after a hot bath for a man's sperm count to return to normal. The research team from the University of Carolina further found that after three to six months of avoiding hot water baths, less than half of the men showed a dramatic five-fold increase in sperm count.

The sperm count in five of the 11 men with fertility problems jumped 491% after they stopped soaking in hot water for several months. The movement of the sperm rate was also reported to have increased from 12% to 34% in the group of men who "fasted" a hot bath.

Among the group of infertile men who did not experience an increase in sperm count, the researchers speculated that smoking may be the cause, as most of the men whose sperm counts did not increase were chronic smokers.

Furthermore, the researchers found that the impact of this infertility only affected men who frequently bathed in hot water, but would not harm men who chose to take a hot shower with a shower.

Hot baths and saunas are also not recommended for pregnant women

There is no evidence to suggest that heat affects a woman's egg life, but experts recommend limiting the use of a hot tub or sauna during pregnancy to less than 10 minutes at a time, especially in the early weeks of pregnancy. A hot bath or sauna can raise your body temperature to levels that can be harmful to your baby's development.

Some studies show that increasing your body temperature during early pregnancy (a hot bath or sauna, or in a hot yoga class, for example) increases the risk of neural tube birth defects and other congenital anomalies in baby girls who are exposed to high temperatures before 7 weeks of gestation. Neural tube birth defects are serious birth defects that affect the skull or spine.

A 2003 study reported that women who used hot tubs early in pregnancy were twice as likely to have miscarriages, reports the Baby Center.

If you really want to play it safe, you should also avoid taking hot baths altogether when trying to get pregnant.