Varicocele makes you infertile, can you still have children? & bull; hello healthy

Many men often don't realize that they have a varicocele until they have to undergo a sperm analysis to see whether they are fertile or not. This "accidental" discovery can then be one of the answers to why a married couple has not been blessed with a baby.

Infertility, or infertility, is diagnosed when a partner has had no signs of pregnancy after having had unprotected sex for at least 12 months. Varicoceles (varicose veins in the scrotum) occur in 15% of all men, and 40% of them are caused by infertile men.

Before knowing the relationship between varicocele and infertility in men, let's first identify what varicocele is.

What is a varicocele?

Varicoceles are varicose veins (enlarged veins) that occur in the scrotum. This condition occurs in about 10 to 15 percent of men. This condition causes swelling that usually resembles an enlargement above the testicle, without discoloration.

The pampiniform plexus is a group of veins in the scrotum. These veins help cool the blood before it flows into the testicular artery, which supplies the testicular blood. If the testicles are too hot, healthy sperm cannot be produced.

Sperm health affects fertility, so it's important for blood vessels to cool the blood. Most people with varicocele have no symptoms, but some may experience fertility problems. When a person has a varicocele, they may also experience swelling and tenderness of the scrotum.

Does a varicocele cause a man to be infertile?

The role of a man in fertility is to provide healthy sperm so that they can swim through the vagina, into the uterus, and up the fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg.

When the sperm successfully meets the egg, fertilization occurs. The fertilized egg will then develop into an embryo and then grow into a fetus.

In order to go through all these processes, a man needs semen, or ejaculate, which contains enough good sperm. Now, having a varicocele will inhibit sperm through the process, and cause a man to become infertile (infertility).

Varicoceles can increase testicular temperature, which affects sperm development. This increase in temperature has two effects. First, it causes a decrease in the production of testosterone, which is a male hormone involved in sperm production.

A decrease in testosterone will cause a decrease in the number of sperm produced and can also cause defects in sperm development. As a result, the ability of sperm to swim (motility) is impaired.

Meanwhile, the second effect, an increase in temperature is also thought to cause an increase in reactive oxygen species that can damage DNA and the sperm membrane, or the outer layer. All of these effects are detrimental to sperm health.

Varicocele doesn't always make a man infertile

A 2014 study collected data on 816 men with infertility problems. Nearly a third of them are stated to have varicocele.

That is, the research shows that varicocele sometimes be one of the factors that cause a man to be infertile. However, that does not mean men with varicocele always have infertility problems.

People with varicocele have their own challenges in having their baby. However, that doesn't mean they can't have it.

A 2012 study found some evidence that treating varicocele can improve fertility, especially if the cause of the partner's infertility is unknown. However, this research still needs further observation.

Bulging blood vessels in people with varicoceles can damage sperm and reduce sperm count. However, in people with average sperm counts, varicoceles may not affect male fertility.

That is why, when the expected pregnancy does not come, it is very important to carry out various tests, including a sperm count test. Varicocele is not the only cause of a man becoming infertile.

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