Low testosterone: Symptoms, causes, and treatment

Common Side Effects of Low Testosterone in Men

Given the growing concern and need for proper testosterone therapy, the AUA identified a need to produce an evidence-based document that informs clinicians on the proper evaluation and management of testosterone deficient patients. Ultimately, the AUA and the Testosterone Panel were committed to creating a Guideline that ensures that men in need of testosterone therapy are treated effectively and safely. In fact, you should not take testosterone for non-medical reasons, such as bodybuilding, aging prevention or performance enhancement. If you have normal testosterone levels, TRT will not help your health problems. Also, if you are trying to father a child, you should not be on TRT. Sometimes in primary hypogonadism testosterone levels are within the normal range and gonadotropins are high.

Testosterone medications are controlled substances that can only be prescribed by a physician. According to Dr. Guise, men who use testosterone without physician supervision run several risks. Brown University Health, Rhode Island’s first health system, was founded in 1994 by Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. Swerdloff says you should get multiple tests — at home male fertility test, www.vdkc.de, least two over the course of a couple of weeks or months. You’ll want to make sure you have low T before you take any action. Males experience a gradual decrease in testosterone as they get older. The older you are, the more likely that you’ll have low testosterone.

Weight loss and exercise can often increase testosterone levels naturally. Testosterone production generally begins to decrease after the age of 30 and after menopause. However, younger people may also have low testosterone levels.

Testosterone deficiency alone is generally not the cause of primary erectile dysfunction. However, low T levels and what it does to your sex drive can affect your ability to have or sustain an erection. The American Urology Association (AUA) defines hypogonadism as total testosterone level of less than 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). The diagnosis is only made after two testosterone lab checks are done and the patient has symptoms. This is referred to as hypogonadism, testosterone deficiency syndrome (TD), low testosterone (Low-T), or andropause. It’s common to write off-road rage or men otherwise behaving badly as a sign of increased testosterone production. However, there are no studies that link male behavior to increased testosterone production.

But because testosterone isn’t something that’s usually checked in routine physicals, men may not know what their symptoms are coming from. If a person notices these symptoms, they should speak with a doctor. A doctor can then come up with a treatment plan to increase their testosterone levels. Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is a type of secondary male hypogonadism that results from normal aging. As males age they have a deterioration of hypothalamic-pituitary function and Leydig cell function that decrease testosterone and/or sperm production. Risks from testosterone therapy are most often due to doses that are too high. That’s why it’s so important to have regular follow-up visits with a health care professional, who will monitor the testosterone levels in your blood.

During treatment, your doctor may need to repeat blood tests to monitor your levels of testosterone, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. To diagnose low testosterone, your doctor will ask questions about your health history, give you a physical examination, and assess you for possible signs and symptoms of low testosterone. If low testosterone is suspected, a blood test measuring the level of testosterone in your blood can verify the diagnosis. Also known as male hypogonadism, low testosterone levels affect about 5 percent of men nationwide.

Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for low testosterone. Low testosterone affects almost 40% of men over the age of 45. Some men have subtle problems like mood changes, poor concentration, and less energy. These symptoms can easily be caused by other health problems though, like anemia, depression, sleep troubles, or a chronic illness. A drop in testosterone doesn’t always interfere with sex, but it can make it more difficult for your brain and body to get aroused. Some men may notice a drop in libido, while others may lose interest in sex completely.

Of course it must be kept in mind that symptoms of low T can also be the result of other issues, such as stress, not sleeping well, and thyroid issues. As men age, testosterone production naturally wanes; in fact, about 40% of men over age 45 have lower levels of testosterone — technically called hypogonadism. But if yours is significantly low, your body starts showing signs. Your doctor will take a sample of your blood to check your testosterone levels. They will also check levels of other hormones, such as estradiol and luteinizing hormone, that can cause low testosterone.

According to Lokeshwar, potential causes for these declines could be increased obesity/BMI, assay variations, diet/phytoestrogens, declined exercise and physical activity, fat percentage, marijuana use, and environmental toxins. There are several effective therapy options for low testosterone. Your urologist should be able to provide you with a range of options and discuss what may work best for you, along with any potential side effects. But if you are noticing bald spots you haven’t seen before, are struggling to grow beard hair that used to sprout quickly or notice more thinning hair on your body than usual, it could be an indication of low testosterone.

On a repeat test, his lab values are now normalized, showing a total testosterone of 614 ng/dL with a normal free testosterone and estradiol of 48 pg/mL. Low testosterone occurs in men when the testicles don’t produce the levels of the male sex hormone that they’re designed to produce. This can cause many problems for men because testosterone plays an important role in the male body.