Healthy semen is a cloudy white color with a jelly consistency similar to a raw egg. Slight changes in semen color, texture, and even smell might be normal and should no pose concern. In some cases, semen color changes could be a sign of an underlying issue.
Healthy sperm have rounded heads and long, strong tails. Shapely sperm are more likely to make it to an egg.
Thick semen is not always a cause for concern, especially if this consistency is infrequent. However, if semen is often very thick, it can signal a problem with the prostate or the seminal vesicles. If a person has very thick semen, a doctor may refer to the issue as “semen hyperviscosity.”
Semen is normally a whitish-gray color. Changes in semen color might be temporary and harmless or a sign of an underlying condition that requires further evaluation. Possible causes, by color, include: Red semen.
The age where a man is most fertile is between 22 and 25 years. It is suggested to have children before the age of 35. After this age, the male fertility begins to worsen. After 35, the sperm might result in pregnancies where mutations can occur.
Use of cocaine or marijuana may temporarily reduce the number and quality of your sperm as well. Alcohol use. Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems.
You should see your healthcare provider any time you notice unusual body changes like yellow or brownish semen with specks. Brown or speckled semen may indicate blood in semen (hematospermia). Yellow or brown semen may not be cause for concern. But it could indicate a problem that requires treatment.
A sperm analysis can be done to check a man's sperm count and the overall health of the sperm. Your doctor may refer you to a reproductive endocrinologist. That's a doctor who specializes in infertility. You will be asked questions about your infertility symptoms and medical history.
Thick semen usually results from a higher than normal concentration of sperm in a typical volume of semen, or from having a high number of sperm with an irregular shape (morphology). High sperm concentration often indicates that you're more likely to impregnate a female partner.
The concentration of sperm is what makes the semen cloudy and thick, so if your ejaculate is watery it is possible that you have a low sperm count. This doesn't mean you're infertile (so precautions to prevent pregnancy still need to be taken for couples that don't want to get pregnant).
Some research suggests that increasing body mass index (BMI) is linked with decreasing sperm count and sperm movement. Eat a healthy diet. Choose plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants — and might help improve sperm health. Prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Thicker semen may also have an easier time staying in the reproductive system long enough to fertilize an egg (Gurung, 2021). That said, if the semen is too thick (hyperviscous semen) it can interfere with sperm nutrition and motility, resulting in poorer quality semen (Beigi Harchegani, 2019).
Sperm in the first fraction of ejaculate are more numerous, move more and present better quality DNA than those lagging behind.
Semen can become watery or thinner than usual if someone masturbates or engages in sexual activity multiple times each day. In this case, abstaining from sexual activity for a few days may help treat the issue. Watery semen can sometimes indicate that a person has a low sperm count or reduced semen quality.
Causes of male infertility
These may include: Abnormal sperm production or function due to undescended testicles, genetic defects, health problems such as diabetes, or infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps or HIV. Enlarged veins in the testes (varicocele) also can affect the quality of sperm.
excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and using drugs such as marijuana or cocaine. certain medications, including testosterone replacement therapy, long-term anabolic steroid use, cancer medications (chemotherapy), some antibiotics and some antidepressants. being overweight or obese.
There is no specific frequency with which a man should ejaculate. There is no solid evidence that failure to ejaculate causes health problems. However, ejaculating frequently can reduce the man's risk of getting prostate cancer. Ejacu-lation can be through having sex or masturbating a few times a day.
There are two types of sperm cells: X sperm and Y sperm. X sperm: X sperm on combining with the X chromosome of the female produces a zygote with XX chromosomes.
Low sperm count symptoms might include: Problems with sexual function — for example, low sex drive or difficulty maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) Pain, swelling or a lump in the testicle area. Decreased facial or body hair or other signs of a chromosome or hormone abnormality.
A study of 250 men who had sperm analyzed at a fertility clinic showed that men who ate higher amounts of fruits and veggies, particularly green leafy vegetables and beans (legumes), had higher sperm concentrations and better sperm motility compared to men who ate less of these foods.
These associations were primarily explained by intake of low-fat milk. The corresponding results for low-fat milk were 30% (95%CI 1,51) higher sperm concentration and 8.7 (95%CI 3.0, 14.4) percentage units higher sperm motility. Cheese intake was associated with lower sperm concentration among ever smokers.
For healthy semen samples collected between 5:00am and 7:30am were found to exhibit a statistically higher sperm concentration, total sperm count and a higher percentage of normally shaped sperm, compared to samples produced later in the day.
Male fertility generally starts to reduce around age 40 to 45 years when sperm quality decreases. Increasing male age reduces the overall chances of pregnancy and increases time to pregnancy (the number of menstrual cycles it takes to become pregnant) and the risk of miscarriage and fetal death.