Recent research suggests that usually, the fathers who smoke at the time their partner is pregnant may lead to the son's having a low sperm count, as much as 50 per cent lower than their peers. The study was done by researchers from Lund University in Sweden and was conducted on 104 Swedish men aged between 17 and 20. The researchers kept in mind the mother's and son's exposure to nicotine, socioeconomic factors, etc. The men with fathers who smoked had a 41 per cent lower sperm concentration and 51 per cent fewer sperm than men with non-smoking fathers. Sperm Count 50 Per Cent Lower in Sons of Fathers Who Smoke, Says Study.

Smoking has been tied to many health issues, and apart from respiratory disorders, smoking negatively affects the whole body. One of its side-effects is lowered sperm count as well. Also, the research found out that the effects of father's nicotine level are more on the son's sperm count more than of the mother's. “I was very surprised that, regardless of the mother’s level of exposure to nicotine, the sperm count of the men whose fathers smoked was so much lower,” said Jonatan Axelsson, from Lund University.

Here are other things that can lower your sperm count apart from smoking.

  1. Industrial emission- Long-term to exposure to chemicals emitted from industries is known to have adverse effects on the sperm count. Chemicals like toluene, benzenes, xylene, pesticides, herbicides, painting materials can cause lowered sperm count.

  2. X-rays radiations-  X-ray radiations are known to have a lot of harmful effects, and one of them is causing the sperm count to decrease over time. Continuous exposure to a high dose of radiation, sperm production can be reduced permanently

  3. Heat- Testicles getting over-heated can cause your sperm count to deteriorate. Increased temperature affects sperm production and function severely.

  4. Drug use- Like various other harmful effects of drugs, drug abuse also causes lowered sperm count. Many bodybuilders take Anabolic steroids for bodybuilding and muscle strength they can cause the testicles to shrink and decrease sperm production.

  5. Alcohol use- Apart from smoking, Drinking alcohol can also lower testosterone levels and cause decreased sperm count.

  6. Depression- Having clinical stress or depression can have adverse effects on the sperm count of men.

  7. Weight- Obesity can affect male fertility big time. It doesn't only impact the sperm count but sperm quality as well.

Researchers also observed that people whose fathers smoke had DNA damage in sperm. They mentioned that smokers have more breaks in the DNA strand.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 26, 2018 04:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).