Male Infertility

The thyroid gland is a small node in front of the neck (trachea). Its function is to produce a hormone called thyroxine, which has a great impact on physical and nervous growth, normal functioning of the brain, nervous system, maintaining body temperature, and producing energy and metabolism and its size is very important in the health of the human body. When the thyroid gland becomes overactive or underactive, it affects many body functions. Unfortunately, this issue is not without influence on male fertility, for this reason we are going to talk about the effect of thyroid on male fertility in this article, so stay with us until the end of the article.

What is thyroid?

Thyroid is one of the most important endocrine glands of the body, which has an approximate weight of 15 grams which looks like a butterfly in front of the neck. One of the most important functions of the thyroid gland is regulating the body’s metabolism and other body activities. When the thyroid gland secretes T3 and T4 hormones, it controls the body’s metabolism. This gland is controlled by the pituitary gland, which is located in the brain.

Cause of thyroid gland development

There are some factors that contribute to the development of the thyroid gland and change its function. These factors are as follows:

-Genetics

-Having autoimmune diseases and even underlying diseases

-Having an infection

-Imbalance between prolactin and estrogen hormones

-Having a lot of stress

-Exposure to electromagnetic radiation and chemicals such as pesticides

The effect of thyroid on male fertility

When men’s thyroid is underactive or overactive, there is a high possibility of facing fertility problems. If a man has an overactive thyroid, it is possible to produce sperms that lack sufficient movement, and this issue causes male infertility. Fortunately, today, due to the advancement of medical science in this field, this disorder can be treated.

Hypothyroidism in men can also increase the production of one of the pituitary hormones called prolactin, which leads to a decrease in testosterone production, which causes fertility problems in men.

According to a research conducted in 2012, men with hypothyroidism produce fewer sperm than men without thyroid problems, and this has a direct impact on male fertility.

The effect of thyroid on male sexual performance

According to researches, hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism has a significant effect on men’s sexual performance. In this research, a group of 34 men with hyperthyroidism and a group of 14 men with hypothyroidism were selected, and the results of the research are as follows:

Men who had hyperthyroidism; 50% of them experienced premature ejaculation and about 15% of them had erectile dysfunction.
Men who had hypothyroidism; 65% of them had erectile dysfunction, late ejaculation and low libido.

Although the exact effect of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism on men’s sexual performance has not been determined, these symptoms improved in men with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism after treatment.

Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism in men

In addition to the effect of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism on men’s reproductive performance, they have other symptoms in common with women suffering from hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism, which include:

Excessive sweating at normal temperature
Sensation of extreme heat at normal temperature
Severe weight loss
Changes in mood (anger)
Stress and anxiety
Hand tremors
Heart beat
Increased appetite
Diarrhea
Insomnia (sleep disorders)

It is worth noting that thyroid cancer may be symptomless in the beginning and may cause hoarseness and difficulty in swallowing in the later stages.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism in men

Among the common symptoms of hypothyroidism in men and women are:

Feeling weak and lethargic
Depression
Creating disorders in memory
Having hair loss
Having pain in the throat area
Constipation
Low heart rate
Creating problems in the menstrual cycle
People’s weight gain is quite sudden
Increased blood cholesterol

The role of the thyroid in fertility

The role of thyroid in fertility should be taken very seriously because this hormone can greatly affect the nervous and brain systems of people. The way to receive this hormone is through placenta. This hormone starts its activity in pregnancy in twelfth week.

Therefore, according to this issue, women who have thyroid disease are more prone to miscarriage than other people in the first trimester of pregnancy. Because this issue is very important, it is better for people who have thyroid disease to be under the supervision of a specialist before trying to get pregnant, so that the level of thyroid gland function is also checked, and most importantly, this issue does not cause women to experience a high-risk pregnancy

Last word

Usually, thyroid disorders are more common in women than men, but this does not mean that men ignore this issue, for this reason, it is better to go to a urologist for the treatment of thyroid disorders in men, because ignoring this issue in men’s fertility can play a role.