Retrograde Ejaculation - Understanding the Causes Behind it?

In today's time, when every one is struggling due to high stress levels, men are facing the brunt of it in the worst possible manner. Todat every 3 out of 10 men suffer from some type of male reproductive issue and one such issue is when the semen, during ejaculation, enters the bladder instead of leaving through the urethra, it is called retrograde ejaculation. 

Causes behind it
When men orgasm, the vas deferens (a duct through which the sperm travels to urethra) moves the sperm to the prostrate, where other fluids mix with it to form liquid semen. The bladder neck muscle (the muscle at the exit to the bladder) narrows down, so the ejaculation doesn’t enter the bladder accidentally when it enters the urethra (tube inside the penis) from the prostate. If you are suffering from retrograde ejaculation, this bladder neck muscle doesn’t compress properly. This results in sperm entering the bladder instead of the urethra. 

The causes which lead to weakening of the bladder neck muscle include:

1. Prostate or bladder neck surgery
2. Side effect of some medications, such as medicines taken for high blood pressure, mood disorders and prostate enlargement
3. Nerve damage due to diabetes, spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis (a disease of the immune system wherein it attacks the protective covering of the nerves).

Symptoms that you must look out for
The symptoms and signs of retrograde ejaculation include:

1. Dry orgasm: Little to no ejaculation is present when you have an orgasm.
2. Cloudy urine after sex: The semen enters the bladder thus, making the urine cloudy
3. Male infertility: Since there is hardly any ejaculation, conceiving becomes difficult

How it can be treated
Until and unless retrograde ejaculation interferes with fertility, it requires no treatment. In such scenarios, retrograde ejaculation is treated by taking a closer look at the underlying causes. If nerve damage is the cause, then drugs might help, especially for condition such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other diseases or surgeries. However, drugs are not effective if you had surgeries such as bladder neck or prostate surgery.

Being on drugs such as alpha blockers for high blood pressure or prostate problems, or medications for mood disorders, might cause retrograde ejaculation. In such cases, your doctor will advise you to stay off the drugs for some time. Since, infertility is a symptom of retrograde ejaculation, you might require fertility treatments, especially if you and your partner are trying for a baby. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a sexologist.