Most men refer to their semen when they talk about having thick and sticky sperm. Actually, your sperms cannot be thick, but your semen can definitely be. You cannot even see your sperms with the naked eye – you need a microscope to see them. As far as the thickness of your semen is concerned, it may vary from time to time. It may sometimes be a sign of an abnormality, and usually happens due to infections, dehydration, and hormonal imbalances. Instead of asking why you need to know that the consistency and texture of your semen will change with time.
Why Is My Sperm Thick?
There will always be a change in the consistency of semen, and it usually depends on what you eat, how active you are, and how often you have sexual intercourse with your partner. Here are some other reasons why you may have thick sperm.
Dehydration
If your semen looks thicker than normal, you may be suffering from dehydration. It is important to understand that drinking coffee and soda will also have dehydrating effects on your body, and this will lead to thicker-than-normal sperm. It is, however, a temporary condition only and resolves on its own.
Infections
Why is my sperm thick? The answer could be in related to your overall health. The thickness may vary if you have an infection. This is usually the case when you have thick semen with discolored ejaculatory fluids. You may even notice a green or yellow tinge in your semen. It is more likely to be an infection if you also see a foul-smelling discharge from your penis.
Hormonal Imbalance
The thickness of your semen may also vary due to hormonal imbalance. If your testosterone levels go down, you may notice your semen becoming thick. It is, however, a bit tricky to determine if hormonal imbalance is the underlying cause or there is something else going on in your case. Only a visit to your doctor will confirm.
What Does Normal Semen Look Like?
The semen of a normal person will have a distinctive look, smell, and taste. For instance, if the semen is healthy, it will have a cloudy white or sometimes grayish appearance. After ejaculation, it is more likely to look like a jelly-like consistence, and it becomes runny after half an hour. Moreover, normal semen will have a chlorine-like smell, and it will taste slightly sweet because it has high fructose content. The taste may change greatly depending on your diet.
How to Improve Sperm Quality
You can do a number of things to ensure that you ejaculate healthy sperms. For instance:
1. Keep Your Body Hydrated
You should drink plenty of water and you won't be asking, "Why is my sperm thick?" Drinking plenty of water on a daily basis (no less than eight glasses a day) will also help improve your overall health.
2. Maintain a Balanced Diet
You need to include healthy foods in your diet. Make sure to eat food that is high in protein and low in fat. Add more whole grains and vegetables to your diet for healthier sperm. Eating plenty of eggs, fish, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower, cashews, and pumpkin seeds will also go a long way in increasing your sperm count.
3. Keep Your Weight in Check
You have to ensure that your weight is normal for your age and height. Being overweight may well be the reason behind your thicker sperms. In fact, obesity not only affects your sperm count but also the sperm movement.
4. Manage Stress
Your sex life will suffer when you're under stress. Stress can have an impact on your hormones, which in turn will change the consistency of your sperm.
5. Stay Active
You need to exercise regularly. It may seem to be a tough task to design a workable exercise regimen, but staying active will definitely have a good impact on your sexual function. It is so because exercise releases testosterone that in turn triggers sperm production. Be sure to opt for compound exercises, and ensure that you don't train the same muscles on consecutive days. Give your muscles time to rest to produce testosterone.
6. Stay Cool
You need to bear in mind that increased scrotal temperature will always affect sperm production in a negative way. Avoid wearing athletic shorts or tight underwear. You may also avoid hot saunas as well as steamy baths.
7. Say NO to Smoking and Drinking Alcohol
Your sperm count is more likely to go down if you smoke cigarettes. It also affects the shape and movement of your sperm.You need to stop or at least limit the amount of alcohol you drink. Regular drinking will affect the quantity and quality of your sperm, so avoid it.
8. Don't Use Illegal Substances
Using illegal drugs such as marijuana can affect the shape and movement of your sperm. Heroin and cocaine will have the similar effects on your sperm.
9. Protect Yourself from Toxins
You need to take safety precautions when exposed to lead, pesticides and other toxins because they can affect the quality and quantity of your sperms.
10. Get Tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases
You need to protect yourself from STDs to have healthy sperms. If you're experiencing some other symptoms with thick sperm, such as pain, fever, itching, burning, clotted sperm and uncomfortable urination, you should get tested for STDs. You're more likely to have a sexually transmitted disease if you also notice blisters or bumps on your penis.
11. Use Medications with Care
It is important to understand that the use of tricyclic antidepressants, calcium channel blockers, anti-androgens, and several other medications can affect your sexual functions and even contribute to fertility issues. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy drugs may also cause permanent infertility.
When to Do a Semen Analysis
If you're asking, "Why is my sperm thick?" and you're still not getting a clear answer, it is time to see your doctor. Your doctor may suggest a sperm analysis to identify the real issue. You may also opt for a sperm analysis if you cannot get your wife pregnant. The test will help confirm if the man is infertile or there is another issue. The test also tells a lot about sperm dysfunction and low sperm count.