The Most Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone

Hypogonadism Wikipedia

A simple blood test can confirm your testosterone level and help determine if low testosterone is the cause of your symptoms. Depending on the severity, your doctor may recommend hormone replacement therapy to boost testosterone or other treatments to help improve your symptoms and overall health. If a person notices these symptoms, they should speak with a doctor. A doctor can then come up with a treatment plan to foods that increase testosterone levels their testosterone levels. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of hypogonadism is delayed in most cases since most symptoms are non-specific, such as loss of sexual drive, lethargy and difficulty in concentrating at work.

Some of the symptoms of low testosterone in a man are subtle, while others are more obvious. And many of the symptoms of low testosterone mirror symptoms of other illnesses and conditions, making it even harder to ID the cause. If you’re wondering whether you have symptoms of low testosterone, talk to your primary care provider about testing and next steps.

Low levels of testosterone, a natural hormone produced in the body, can lead to hair loss, weight gain, a decrease in sex drive, and many other unwanted side effects. Testosterone can be restored with prescribed treatments, starting with a simple physical exam. Using testosterone therapy to treat normal aging is not a good idea.

This hormone also helps maintain sex drive, sperm production, and bone health. The brain and pituitary gland (a small gland at the base of the brain) control the production of testosterone by the testes. Testosterone (the male sex hormone) decreases naturally with age. However, in some cases, testosterone can decrease to a point where it is outside of the normal range and cause a variety of health problems. For the average adult male, testosterone levels are considered normal between the range of 300 – 1,000 ng /dL (with an average around 680 ng / dL).

As boys exit puberty and enter adulthood, testosterone maintains muscle strength and mass, hair growth, bone density, sexual functions, energy and mood levels. Generally, testosterone levels are highest in the morning and lowest in the evening but fluctuation does occur with age. Testosterone is important to male sexual development and overall health. During puberty, it is responsible for developing secondary sexual characteristics, such as increased muscle mass, voice deepening, and facial and body hair growth.

Free testosterone circulates on its own, not attached to another substance. It is more frequent in older men, overweight men, and men with diabetes. According to the American Urological Association, about 2 out of 5 men over age 45 and 3 out of 10 men older than 70 have low testosterone.

Today, Norton Healthcare is a leader in serving adult and pediatric patients from throughout Greater Louisville, Southern Indiana, the commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. If you are experiencing diminished interest in sex, ED or multiple symptoms together such as lack of desire to have sex and lack of energy, you should talk to your doctor. Androgenic alopecia is driven by dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a potent byproduct of testosterone. Elevated levels of DHT in men more sensitive to it can cause hair follicles to shrink and weaken, eventually leading to hair loss.

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for a man’s sex drive and ability to perform. Men with low testosterone often have difficulty achieving or maintaining an erection. For men struggling with low testosterone who are trying to conceive, a urologist may prescribe this drug to boost testosterone levels. However, working to lose this additional weight can help men boost their testosterone levels and reverse its symptoms. Another way low T can make you feel tired and weak is by causing anemia, a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your organs and tissues. You’ll have the option of taking prescribed testosterone medication in the form of injectable, oral, or topical treatments. Our ADAM questionnaire is a useful tool to get some understanding about your symptoms and whether they indicate low testosterone levels.

Intramuscular testosterone injections are administered around every two weeks, depending on the diagnosis. The injections send testosterone directly into the bloodstream through the muscle, alleviating the symptoms of low T. Sporadic mood changes are one of the more noticeable signs of low testosterone, especially in conjunction with other symptoms. If you or a loved one experiences any of the nine signs of low testosterone listed below, contact your urologist to discuss your symptoms and next steps.