Your Home Could Make You Infertile?!

Your Walls
Exposure to glycol ether, a solvent found in certain water-based paints, varnishes, thinners and stains, can disrupt your menstrual cycle or even cause a miscarriage. It can also diminish sperm quality.

Your Bed
Although flame retardants used on mattresses, sofa cushions and carpet padding are meant to keep you safe, they may not be a safe bet if you're trying to conceive. Those chemicals can be absorbed into your bloodstream, and high levels of such chemicals have been linked to damaged sperm in men and trouble conceiving in women. The two most commonly used flame-retardant compounds were banned in the U.S. in 2004 (they were voluntarily phased out of use in Canada in 2006), so if you bought your mattress after that, you're probably fine. When buying new furniture, opt for pieces made of organic cotton, wool and latex, and avoid anything with a tag that says: "Complies with California TB117" (the law requiring furniture to be flame-retardant).

Soap
Antibacterial soaps, as well as some shampoos, dishwashing liquids and even some toothpastes, contain triclosan - a chemical that may mess up your hormones and interfere with your reproductive system or sperm count.

Canned Food
BPA, or bisphenol A, is a chemical often found in hard plastics, including those used to make many microwave-safe food containers and water bottles, as well as in the linings of aluminum cans and, surprisingly, receipt paper. Studies have found that the higher the levels of BPA in men's urine, the lower their sperm count. A study also found that women with twice as much BPA in their bloodstreams had half as many viable eggs, and other research has shown a link between BPA levels and polycystic ovary syndrome (which can lead to infertility).

Shower Curtain
Your shower curtain liner gets its soft plastic bendability from phthalates - and that's a problem. Men with lower sperm counts, as well as those with damaged sperm, have been found to have phthalates in their blood. These chemicals may also be connected to endometriosis, a condition that can lead to infertility in affected women.

Nonstick Pots and Pans
The nonstick coating contains the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to reproductive problems. In fact, data shows that women with higher levels of PFOA in their blood had a harder time getting pregnant. And when they do conceive, studies have found that babies born to women with higher levels of PFOA in their blood are less likely to meet important developmental milestones.

Laptops
Researchers have found that men who rest laptops on their laps while using them have higher scrotal temps, which may decrease sperm production and have a negative affect on the production of healthy sperm.

The Faucet
A study showed that chemicals found in medicines, including cancer drugs, as well as pesticides that enter our water supply (even in trace amounts), may reduce male fertility by inhibiting the function of testosterone.

Carpet
Pesticides that you can drag into your home on your shoes, as well as perfluorochemicals (PFCs) contained in the padding of some carpets, may be linked to female infertility. Women with higher levels of these chemicals in their blood took longer to get pregnant than those with lower levels. Researchers believe the chemicals may have a toxic affect on the developmental and reproductive organs, and could also affect sperm quality.

Laundry Detergents
Chemicals found in detergents can disrupt a woman's normal menstrual cycle and cause miscarriage in pregnant women, in addition to possibly affecting semen quality. So switch from petroleum-based detergents to vegetable-based, fragrance-free detergents, which contain fewer chemicals. Also, ditch products that contain parabens, phthalates or formaldehyde in favor of more natural, preservative-free alternatives.

Found on MSN Lifestyle