JOIN USThe dependence on technology has caused significant damage to human health. The use of smart phones, computers, laptops and wireless connections has had a severe impact on male and female fertility. Studies have proven that levels of electromagnetic radiation, which is emitted from the smart gadgets and cellular towers, is 10 times higher in India, in comparison to any other country. Around 10-12% of the couples in India have been reported to suffer from fertility issues.
The effect
Prolonged use of smart phones can damage the sperm count, motility and concentration among men. Testes are more vulnerable to heat than the ovaries. Keeping cellphones in pockets, using laptops placed on laps for a long time also damages the sperm quality and quantity. Research shows that exposure to such harmful radiation could be critical to both mother and the foetus. Most of the congenital problems are also attributed to exposure to radiation.
Other factors
A sedentary lifestyle has become one of the leading causes for obesity, which can in turn cause infertility. Obesity is linked to loss of libido in men and lack of sexual desire in women. Obesity not only leads to lack of sexual desire but also leads early exhaustion during sex.
Bingeing on TV for more than 20 hours a week is linked to reduction in sperm count by 35% according to a study published in American Journal of Epidemiology. Watching TV for more than five hours a day showed a significant drop in sperm count and testosterone levels.
Packaged foods contain acidic additives that alter the pH level of the body. Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, these additives can harm the motility and shape of the sperm cells or kill them.
Dr Manjula BC
(The author is IVF expert, Indira IVF Hospital)