Low testosterone is often mentioned in discussions about hair loss, however, this hormonal deficiency isn’t a direct cause of balding. Instead, when hair sheds, it is typically due to a genetic predisposition, known as androgenic alopecia. Our team at The Endocrine Center sees the effects of low testosterone (low T) in men of all ages, and we offer several quick and painless treatments that rebalance their hormones. Here are some of the signs that your testosterone level may have dipped below normal. In some people it may not cause symptoms, however, in others it can cause a series of symptoms and health conditions. If someone believes they have low testosterone, they should contact a healthcare provider for testing, determining the cause, and follow-up treatment.
Though present in both men and women, testosterone is often called the male hormone because men have a much higher percentage than women. Testosterone surges during puberty and is critical in the development of distinctly male features — a deeper voice, facial and body hair, muscle strength, and sperm. In males, low testosterone can cause infertility, osteoporosis (progressive bone thinning), muscle weakness, and erectile dysfunction. Managing low testosterone involves a combination of lifestyle modifications and medical treatments tailored to individual needs and health conditions.
Cheng grew up in New Jersey and went to Rice University to study psychology. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, graduating with honors. He completed his general surgery internship and urology residency at Harvard Medical School/Brigham & Women’s Hospital. After residency, he went to the University of Utah, where he completed his Genitourinary Reconstruction and Men’s Health fellowship under the direction of Dr. James Hotaling. If you have a condition such as diabetes and you find your nerve pain and numbness getting worse, talk with your doctor about the possibility that you may also have low testosterone.
Among men who experienced sexual dysfunction, TRT increased sexual activity by 49% within six months, improving moods and sex drive but not necessarily erectile dysfunction. The depression directly caused by low T can be amplified when low libido and erectile dysfunction start to affect a person’s sex life. There is a cause-and-effect relationship, wherein 35% to 50% of men with hypogonadism experience clinical depression, while 63% of men with clinical depression experience sexual dysfunction. Patients must understand the diagnostic criteria required to warrant testosterone therapy. This includes at least 2 separate low testosterone levels and a specific hormone-related symptom that could be reasonably expected to improve with testosterone supplementation.
Men can sometimes present with very severe mood or anxiety changes that are caused by hormonal imbalance. If appropriate, we may prescribe a low dose of progesterone in the testosterone cream to help alleviate these symptoms. This gives us a good idea of what’s going on, and if we do suspect low testosterone, we will request blood tests to confirm our suspicions. We can also use a DUTCH test to look at the cortisol levels and balance of sex hormones. Studies have shown that men are less likely to visit their doctor, for both physical and mental health concerns than women. This may be more worrying for single men, as Harvard University found that married men are more likely to have better health. Men can also have difficulty achieving and maintaining erections if their testosterone levels are too low.
The high levels of these hormones would normally tell your testicles to produce more testosterone and sperm. However, if you have damaged (most commonly related to prior chemotherapy) or missing testicles, they can’t respond to the increased levels of gonadotropins. As a result, your testicles make too little or no testosterone and sperm. Low testosterone levels not only affects your sexual life but can also have a negative impact on your overall physical and mental health. Various clinical studies have linked hypogonadism to an increased risk of developing diabetes type2, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels in the men (2). Following are the top 10 testosterone booster 2016 alarming signs that indicates you might have low levels of testosterone. It is highly recommended to seek help from a registered practitioner to detect testosterone deficiency at an early age for prompt management.
If you have low T, healthy lifestyle changes are important, along with any testosterone therapy your doctor might suggest. When you start to lose weight and extra body fat from dieting, you may lose some muscle. If you are overweight, eat a healthy diet to reduce the extra poundage, especially around the middle. Be sure to work large groups of muscles when you exercise and do some weight lifting, too. When testosterone levels are back to normal, men often say they feel like themselves again. If they do, lower testosterone levels may not be the only cause. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is not commonly caused by low testosterone production.
In fact, the National Institutes of Health consider it the most important male hormone. Most men feel improvement in symptoms within four to six weeks of taking testosterone replacement therapy, although changes like increases in muscle mass may take from three to six months. Deterrence and education on male hypogonadism are crucial components of public health initiatives aimed at preventing and mitigating the impact of this condition. Deterrence involves raising awareness about risk factors, emphasizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and promoting regular health check-ups to identify potential issues early on. Male hypogonadism, acquired or congenital, can be caused by defects that interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.
Some men go to their doctor’s office to receive testosterone injections. Frequency can vary from one injection every week to one injection every 10 weeks. (Most men have an injection every 2 weeks.) Shots may be placed just under the skin or directly into a muscle. The average life expectancy is more than 76 years, and if you reach age 65, you can likely count on an additional 18 years. That’s great news until you realize that you could be living more than two-thirds of your life with significantly less testosterone than you started with.
Using testosterone therapy to treat normal aging is not a good idea. Suppose you don’t have a medical condition that could be causing your testosterone levels to drop. In that case, your doctor might recommend natural ways to boost testosterone, like losing weight and building muscle mass through exercise. It plays a central role in many bodily functions – from muscle building to mood to bone health.
