Alcohol, tobacco use and abuse of prescription or illegal drugs are all causes of infertility in males. Ingestion of these substances can prevent a body from producing sperm or can cause production of poor quality sperm, possibly with low motility. The following is an explanation of some of the effects alcohol and drug abuse can have on a body’s reproductive processes.
Alcohol Abuse
Excessively drinking any type of alcohol affects a body’s stomach, liver and kidneys. Possibly, one or more of these organs may experience irrevocable damage preventing normal function. To cope with the alcohol in its system, a body will divert attention to those areas needing to process and purge the body of the poison. This means that energy, nutrition and other bodily functions will be diverted to those areas most affected by alcohol consumption. Potentially, a body could stop producing sperm, or sperm motility could decrease because of the body not focusing energy on these tasks.
Tobacco Use
Cigarettes and chewing tobacco introduce nicotine into a body. Nicotine is a foreign substance that does not help the body with any of its normal functions. Additionally, nicotine impedes lung capacity, the heart’s ability to pump blood and normal cell function. Additionally, nicotine increases heart rate and other body functions beyond normal limits. Introducing nicotine into a body forces the body to behave as it is not designed. In response, the body will have to adapt itself and as a result may redirect its energy and other processes abnormally. Sperm production and sperm quality can all be decreased if a body is not permitted to attend to them as necessary.
Prescription Drug Abuse
Ingesting prescription drugs beyond what has been instructed, or that have not been prescribed to you, can also reduce male fertility. Prescription drugs are designed to assist a body with a function it has trouble performing or help it to heal. Prescriptions add chemicals to the body to cause, increase, decrease or impede its activities. Taking non-prescribed medications or more of a pill that has not been prescribed means you are forcing your system to act abnormally, which might cause it to stop its typical functions.
Illegal Drug Abuse
In effect, illegal drugs introduce poisons into your body. To rid itself of these dangerous toxins, the body must increase digestion and processing of these chemicals to purge them from the body. Many times, illegal drugs damage a body so that it cannot behave normally or engage in its regular activities. A body’s ability to produce sperm can change or be eliminated because of the ingestion of the chemicals found in illegal drugs.
Difficultly with Erections or Ejaculation
All of the aforementioned substances affect a body’s muscle and nervous systems. These two systems are responsible for a male being able to become erect and ejaculate during intercourse. While cessation of the ingestion of alcohol or drugs may permit the body to regain these functions, it is possible that the body will never recover these abilities.
