Toasted-Skin Syndrome and Laptop Infertility
If you're reading this column in a newspaper, great! Your only risk is ink-stained fingers. But if you're a guy, and you're reading this on a computer or tablet nestled on your lap, start speed-reading. You could be cooking your testicles, nipping in the bud your chances of fatherhood. (Find out more about staying in tip-top sexual condition.)
Here's the problem. To hold the laptop steady, you have to keep your legs together, or close together, right? That position, combined with heat from the computer, can send the temperatures in your, well, lap, high enough to damage sperm -- or make them too sluggish to swim out there and find the egg of their dreams.
It doesn't take much to make a guy too hot for his own good (big surprise!). Just 10 to 15 minutes of staring at a laptop screen is enough to reduce potency and sperm count. That's why the testicles hang outside the rest of the body, despite the vulnerable location. They stay cooler there, which is necessary for healthy sperm production. (Protect yourself: Take this prostate health screening test today.)
Heat may not be the only fertility hazard. Early research suggests that the electromagnetic radiation emitted when a laptop's connected to Wi-Fi may also damage sperm DNA. So, what can you do to safeguard fertility? (See how sex can get better with age.)
- Put your laptop on the table. Even protective pads won't protect you.
- Stick to short online-surfing sessions if you're using a laptop. And spread your legs. (Learn more about men's health.)
- Limit time on your bike. Cycling more than 5 hours a week also lowers sperm concentration. (Beyond biking: Check out these other exercise workouts to get slim.)
- Eat healthful foods and take vitamins. Foods and supplements rich in DHA omega-3 fats, zinc, selenium, folic acid, and vitamins C and E increase sperm count.
Find out how eating right can make your RealAge younger. Take our free RealAge Test!
