Men’s health and infertility

At Alfardan Medical with Northwestern Medicine (AMNM) we discovered that when patients come in for fertility treatment, men are experiencing the same level of difficulty as women on this issue. The great thing about our work is that we can help patients with their hopes of starting a family. At Qatar’s state-of-the-art medical and day surgery center, AMNM, we have a unique facility to examine the medical problems, lifestyle and habits of men that may affect their fertility. Many people think that the use of dietary supplements can help them in conception, however, lifestyle habits can have a greater impact. Both the husband and wife must embark on this journey together with equal contribution from both sides. Regular daily exercise to offset the stress from work is vital to improve chances of fertility. Optimization of body weight and fitness levels, especially resistance exercise, can help create the proper biological environment for pregnancy. The proper balance is very important as too much vigorous exercise, such as running and cycling for long periods of time, can cause inflammation of the prostate which provides critical nutrients to the sperm. In addition, those who use muscle building supplements can hurt their chances of fertility as many of them reduce sperm counts significantly. Quality sleep and the ability to manage stress is additionally important. Sperm is produced in men every three months, therefore if a male sets a three-month exercise and weight management goal this will create optimal conditions. If the patient is a smoker, then smoking cessation is another important lifestyle adjustment that can be made. At AMNM in Lusail, we have a holistic approach to help patients with an Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Dietician that can plan and support the implementation of appropriate behavioral changes. It is important for patients who want to increase fertility to consume adequate amounts of essential fatty acids from fish and fish oil supplements. Especially for males because this is important for the sperm structure. The Clinical Dietician can advise people on good sources of this nutrient and what foods to avoid. There is no magic pill that can improve fertility; however, advanced genetic testing can identify underlying problems. When these problems are discovered, we can then devise a plan to counter any obstacles. With medical issues such as varicose veins or previous surgery of the testicles, we may need to take a more direct approach to extract sperm with an IVF treatment. In this process, the female is stimulated to produce as many eggs as possible and to get the best quality sperm from the male and bring them together outside of the body in a state-of-the-art fertility laboratory. If the sperm count is low, then the lab can select the healthiest sperm to be injected into the egg to achieve fertilization. This is an advanced medical technique that is offered here at AMNM and can help couples in their goal of starting a healthy family. -Advertorial