What is sperm cell agglutination and how to treat it?
There is a huge variety of pathologies of male health, which can lead to significant problems with the natural conception of a baby. One of them is sperm cell agglutination.
What it is?
Under the agglutination of sperm means the pathological "sticking" them together. In this situation, the male sex cells are simply not able to perform all the vital functions that nature has endowed them with.
The danger of this pathology is that it negatively affects the possibility of natural conception, and in severe cases it can lead to the development of male infertility.
All normal male sex cells are located at some distance from each other. This is due to the presence of their special properties: they all have a negative charge and repel each other's surface.
The main method of laboratory studies to diagnose this pathological condition is spermogram. To perform such a survey, a man should only be prepared properly, and then pass sperm for analysis.
In the spermogram, in addition to detecting the pathological adhesion of spermatozoa, other clinical signs can be identified. Such a qualitative and quantitative analysis gives doctors a lot of information about the presence of any pathologies in the male body.
Clinical options
There are several types of pathological adhesion of male germ cells. Each of them is characterized by its own course of development and has distinctive clinical features.
The true
In this situation, male sex cells are glued together. This can occur in any of their departments: for example, they can stick together only with heads or necks, or in the area of tails.
Such situations are also possible. when sperm are glued together with the whole body. Such situations usually have a more unfavorable prognosis..
The danger of the true form is that the male sex cells begin to lose their ability to actively move. This contributes to the fact that the possibility of natural fertilization of the egg decreases several times.
False
This clinical option is also called non-specific. In this situation, the sperm do not directly stick together. They connect with each other through biological substrates.that surround them. These include epithelial cells and mucus.
To identify such a situation is very important correct diagnosis.
In the future, the accuracy of the survey results will greatly influence the compilation of treatment tactics. It is important that only experienced specialists perform the diagnostics.. In this case, the risk of false results is significantly lower.
Mixed
Some researchers may also call this option combined. It is characterized by a combination of the first two types of agglutination.
In the case of the development of this pathological condition spermatozoa not only begin to stick together among themselves, but also to be glued together through various biological substrates.
Spermatozoids can also stick together due to the fact that outside they are covered with a lot of antisperm antibodies.Such a pathological condition leads to a decrease in the negative charge necessary for sufficient mobility. In the end, this leads to agglutination.
Causes of change of semen
Many scientists believe that the main reason for the development of this pathological condition is a violation of the properties of the hemato-testicular barrier. Normally, it is necessary for the normal functioning of the reproductive organs.
This barrier serves as a shield between the immune system and the genitals. If its functions begin to decline for some reason, then ultimately it contributes to the development of pathological conditions.
There are quite a few reasons that contribute to this violation. Often various diseases of intimate male organs lead to the development of this pathological condition. Most often they are chronic.
It also happens that a man for a long time simply does not know what kind of diseases he has. This often happens due to the fact that he had lately turned to a doctor for advice. This can be understood, because the problem is very intimate.
Urologists believe that the long-term effects of certain viral and bacterial infections can lead to the development of disorders. The cause also become sexually transmitted diseases.
The danger of many of them is that for quite a long time they simply do not appear. A man for a long time does not bother, therefore he does not consult a doctor in time.
Venereal diseases with long development can have a rather sad prognosis. In this case, treatment will take much longer and is usually quite expensive.
The effects of surgeries on reproductive organs may also cause sperm agglutination.. The list of pathologies leading to the development of clumping of spermatozoa are operations performed on the testicles.
Injuries to the intimate organs may also contribute to the development of sperm cell agglutination.. Most often, 2 of the most vulnerable organs are damaged - the seminiferous tubules and tender tissue of the testicles. As a rule, the consequences of such injuries are long-term, and adverse symptoms may occur in a man several years after the injury has occurred.
Chronic diseases of the genitourinary system also contribute to the pathological adhesion of male reproductive cells.
The list of pathologies leading to this includes prostatitis, orchitis, vesiculitis, and many other diseases. As a rule, the longer the disease remains without treatment, the worse the prognosis of its development.
These pathologies lead to the appearance of a large number of leukocytes in the semen. This condition is called leukospermia.
Also dishormonal disorders, varicocele, and congenital defects of the reproductive organs can lead to the development of pathological sticking of sperm cells (most commonly, testicular underdevelopment), prolonged use of certain medications, anemic conditions, and cystic fibrosis.
How does it manifest itself?
The severity of clinical signs depends largely on how strongly agglutination is expressed. If the process is insignificant, then it will be almost impossible to suspect any changes only in the appearance of the sperm.
A pronounced adherence of sperm cells can cause the visual properties of sperm to change. It will become more dense, its viscosity will increase. In some cases, small lumps or seals may form in the ejaculate.
In order to determine the degree of manifestation of the violations, experts use special criteria. They allow them to identify the initial severity of the pathological process.
One plus (+) means that the male ejaculate contains less than a dozen spermatozoa stuck together.. This clinical option is also called isolated.
The result of the study in two pluses (++) indicates that there are already more than ten, but less than 50 adherent sperm in the male ejaculate.
Three plus (+ +) already shows significant changes. With the development of this form, more than fifty sperm cells become stuck together.
The worst option is four plus points.. In this case, all the sperm are strongly glued together. In this case, both the aggregation and the agglutination of male germ cells are violated.
If a man has no pathological changes, then this condition is called “normozoospermia” by doctors. In this case, significant pathologies after the study is not detected. In this situation, a note may appear in the analysis - abs, that is, the absence of this feature.
Treatment
The appearance of sperm cell agglutination in a man is an important reason for his visit to a doctor. Do not let the situation take its course. Often this only leads to a deterioration in the prognosis of the disease and its worst course.
Selection of treatment tactics is determined by the attending physician. They may be Andrologist, urologist or reproductologist. It all depends on what kind of reasons influenced the development of this state.
To treat the disease is necessary. Only therapy can restore fertility to a man and make him a father.
If the cause of the resulting violations was a venereal disease, then in such a situation, you should immediately contact a venereologist. The doctor will draw up a treatment plan and select the necessary medications.
A course of antibiotic therapy will be required to eliminate the adverse effects.. In some cases, there may be several such courses.
After each of them, a performance evaluation is conducted. If it is unsatisfactory, then the antibiotic is changed to another, and an alternative scheme is carried out.
In order to achieve a better result, doctors may also prescribe auxiliary therapy. These include drugs that improve spermatogenesis, normalizing blood flow in the intimate organs, as well as eliminating antisperm antibodies.
In some situations, additional consultation with an immunologist is required. It is especially important in cases where a man has clear signs of impaired immune system.
If the cause of the resulting disorders are varicose veins of the intimate organs, you should always consult with the operating urologist. Even surgical treatment may be required to eliminate the adverse symptoms.
In some cases, an alternative to surgery is hormone therapy. When taking hormonal drugs is very important to remember the need to respect the daily and course dosages. Improper reception can cause the development of undesirable side effects.
The possibility of natural conception is determined individually. For this, besides sperm cell agglutination, a number of properties are evaluated. The decision on the need for artificial insemination is made by the doctor, taking into account all the surveys..
If the pair’s natural conception is impossible, modern auxiliary methods of reproduction are carried out. In each case, their choice is individual and is determined based on the existing problems of the couple who dream of becoming parents.
An experienced doctor will tell you in the video below whether a couple can become pregnant with a bad spermogram.