The use of antibiotics to treat illness is essential to the fight against illness. However, taking antibiotics is recommended as a double-edged sword, because side effects can affect the health of the patient. In particular, there are many opinions that men taking antibiotics should have children because of fear of side effects of the drug affecting sperm quality.
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What are antibiotics?
The advent of antibiotics is considered an important milestone in modern medicine. Thanks to this drug, it has repelled many diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, including dangerous infectious diseases.
According to the medical concept, antibiotics are actually antibacterial substances which are prepared from common microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, Actinomycetes). They have the ability to inhibit the formation and growth of harmful microorganisms and prevent the risk of disease.
Therefore, it can be understood simply that antibiotics are drugs that cure diseases and protect human health. However, overuse of drugs and misuse of drugs will cause many dangerous side effects to human health.
The half-life of antibiotics
Nowadays, with a wide variety of antibiotics, patients may be assigned to use the right drugs. Usually, when taking antibiotics into the body, the half-life of the drug is also relatively fast, within 24 hours depending on the type of antibiotic. The elimination of the antibiotic from the body takes place through the liver and kidneys.
Experts share that after a relatively short time, the antibiotic will be eliminated from the body by itself and almost without leaving any side effects, even without affecting sperm quality and ability fertility.
Effects of antibiotics on sperm quality
As mentioned above, when taking antibiotics into the human body, they need a certain amount of time to absorb the drug as well as eliminate them. If the patient complies with the correct dose, time will not affect anything.
However, if the patient misuses the drug, is used improperly as directed by the doctor for a long time, it will inevitably cause unwanted side effects, including many opinions that may be Affects sperm quality.
This is also a great concern for men when using antibiotics. They don’t know whether men who take antibiotics should have children. If so, does the child born have any effect on the child’s health?
Experts say that in order to answer this question, it is first necessary to check whether the testicles have a blood barrier or not. This is considered to be a permanent bond between muscle cells and bridge cell bonds between Sertoli cells.
This barrier is responsible for preventing sperm as well as sperm degradation products from entering the body, ensuring the separation of the vas deferens and blood. From there, classify and isolate pre-sperm and adult sperm outside the barrier. As a result, only antibiotics that cross this barrier are capable of affecting sperm quality.
Therefore, it is reasonable for men to take antibiotics that cause a decrease in sperm quality. Because when patients abuse drugs and use for a long time, it will inhibit the growth, affect the spermatogenesis process, accompanied by a decrease in the cell division frequency of the sex cells, even Lice deform the sperm … The most serious consequence is infertility.
Therefore, when you want to have a baby after a long time using antibiotics to treat the disease, the patient should consult a doctor before deciding to conceive.
Some antibiotics affect spermatozoa
Antibiotics have the ability to greatly affect the quality of male sperm, it degrades the quality of sperm, weakens the sperm, they cannot swim to reach the egg so they cannot conceive. and have children.
Some drugs have the ability to affect sperm quality, such as:
Anti-bacterial agent
Nitrofurantoin
This is a medicine commonly used to treat or prevent urinary tract infections. However, the downside of the drug is that it can reduce the sperm count in men when using the drug in high doses.
Erythromycin
- This antibiotic contains substances that can interfere with the division of male sex cells, thereby reducing the rate of healthy sperm and survival to access eggs.
- There are even a few cases of using the drug Erythromycin is the cause of infection in men. Therefore, if you must use this antibiotic to treat the disease, the best patient should only use it for about a week.
- Note, when you have started taking the drug, wait 1-2 months from the date of stopping the drug to think about having a baby. Do not be too hasty if you do not want your baby to have a malformation in the womb.
Some other classes of drugs
Commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drugs such as aspirin, indomethacin (which often contains acetyl-salicylic acid and indomethacin, methadone, pregabalin, or the antidepressant group) are likely to affects the production of sperm in men, even causes erectile dysfunction and has a significant effect on fertility.
So, if you and your wife are planning to have children, consider using these medications whenever you are tired, have a cold.
Some notes while taking antibiotics
Using the wrong antibiotic in the wrong way will cause backlash, even cause many dangerous complications such as poisoning, allergies, intestinal disorders … Even more dangerous will make bacteria resistant. medicine makes it increasingly difficult to treat the disease and especially affects male fertility.
Therefore, in order for the most effective use of antibiotics without causing side effects or complications, patients need to note the following:
- Antibiotics should only be used if they already have an infection or are at high risk of infection.
- Use an antibiotic only when under the supervision of a doctor. Absolutely do not buy drugs at home and drink.
- Which antibiotic to use and how long to use it must comply with the doctor’s instructions to ensure safety and effectiveness. In particular, depending on the condition of the patient that the time to use the drug will be different, but usually will not be less than 5 days.
- Absolutely not arbitrarily use antibiotics together. Combination of drugs is only performed when directed by a doctor.
How to ensure sperm quality?
Improving sperm quality as well as male physiology is something that any man wants. It is not difficult to do this, but it takes a lot of perseverance and determination.
If you are in the time required to use antibiotics for treatment, listen to and comply with the treatment of your doctor. Don’t do it yourself unorthodox. Even if you want to stop the drug to have a baby, you should consult your doctor before doing it to avoid unfortunate consequences.
If you want to limit the use of Western medicine when you are sick, it is best for men to take care of their own health by simple daily methods such as:
- Regular exercise, exercise and sports to improve health.
- Develop a healthy diet that is full of healthy ingredients and a variety of healthy foods.
- Avoid negative habits such as drinking a lot of alcohol, smoking cigarettes, using drugs, staying up late, eating in moderation … if you want to increase sperm quality and want to have children.
Antibiotics are products that are commonly used in treatment, but in the process of using antibiotics, it is necessary to be very careful, comply with all indications from the doctor. Also, talk directly with your doctor if you feel any unusual changes in your reproductive health.
