Testosterone is a hormone present in both male and female bodies. In a male, testosterone is made in the testes whereas in female testosterone is made in the ovaries. However, males have higher levels of testosterone than females. This hormone plays a crucial role in puberty and fertility. Testosterone is also necessary for libido. It helps to maintain bone and muscle mass, body hair, and strength. The level of this hormone changes continuously depending on the body’s requirements. But the overall testosterone level changes throughout life. The level decreases with age. After the age of 30, the level starts falling one percent every year. However, some people face an immediate fall in testosterone levels. Low T can cause many issues in the personal and sexual life of men.
Common issues due to low T in men
Low libido
Testosterone hormone is crucial to maintaining sex drive in men. Men may experience a decline in sex drive with age. But lots of men face this problem due to low T. When a person is facing low T problems, he will face a huge drop in his sexual desire.
Difficulty in erection
Low T not only reduces libido but also shows problems in achieving and maintaining an erection. Testosterone doesn’t alone lead to erection but it stimulates receptors that help trigger erection. This hormone asks the brain to produce nitric oxide that triggers the chemical reaction to create an erection. When the testosterone level is low, men face difficulty getting an erection before sex or have spontaneous erections. As testosterone is one of the major factors to cause erections; testosterone replacement therapy helps in treating ED.
Hair loss
Other than erection, testosterone is also necessary for lots of body functions. In men, testosterone helps in body hair growth. As you know, balding is natural as men often start balding with age. But men with low T experience loss of facial and body hairs also.
Low muscle mass
Testosterone is a vital hormone for muscle building. Men with good testosterone levels often have good muscle mass. But when a person faces a low T, he will notice a reduction in his muscle mass. But the low T does not necessarily affect muscle function or strength.
Low semen volume
This hormone is crucial for semen production in men. Semen is a milky fluid that increases sperm motility. When the body is unable to release the required testosterone, the volume of semen will also reduce during ejaculation.
Fatigue
Low testosterone levels also cause fatigue. A person will feel low energy level and unable to perform well. He might get tired easily even after getting enough sleep. The person may also feel less motivational for exercises or other activities.
Increased body fat
The muscle mass will reduce but the body fat may increase due to the low T. They may develop gynecomastia or enlarged breast tissues. Increased body fat may occur due to an imbalance between testosterone and estrogen in men.
Reduced bone mass
Reduced bone mass is common in women. But men can also face this problem due to low T. Testosterone is a necessary hormone to strengthen the bones. When the testosterone level decreases, the bone mass also reduces and they get susceptible to bone fractures.
Affected mood and memory
A person also feels changes in his mood due to low T. This hormone maintains lots of physical and mental factors. A man with a low testosterone level can face depression, irritability, and poor focus. Testosterone also affects cognitive function. The person may start forgetting minor details.
Smaller testicle size
When the body releases less testosterone hormone, the size of the testicles also reduces. Men’s bodies need testosterone to develop the penis and testicles. Low testosterone can result in smaller testicles and a smaller penis.
Common causes behind low testosterone
Primary hypogonadism
Underactive testes result in primary hypogonadism. It appears when the body can produce sufficient levels of testosterone. It can be caused due to inherited traits. But a person can also face primary hypogonadism due to any illness or accident.
Common inherited conditions for primary hypogonadism:
Klinefelter’s syndrome: It is a condition when a man is born with three sex chromosomes. X, X, and Y.
Undescended testicles: In this condition, testicles fail to descend from the abdomen before birth.
Hemochromatosis: This condition appears due to increased iron in the blood that causes testicular failure.
Any injury in both testicles can affect testosterone production. Mumps infections or chemotherapy can also damage testicles.
Secondary hypogonadism
Secondary hypogonadism occurs when the pituitary or hypothalamus gets damaged. These two brain parts control hormone production by testes.
Pituitary disorder: It can occur due to any drug, small tumors, or kidney failure.
Inflammatory diseases: Illness like tuberculosis, and histiocytosis, can affect the hypothalamus and pituitary glands.
Kallmann syndrome: This syndrome results in abnormal hypothalamus function.
HIV/AIDS: It affects the hypothalamus, testes, and pituitary glands.
Some other conditions can also cause secondary hypogonadism like obesity, certain medications, stress, etc.
Ways to increase testosterone level
Testosterone boosters
Lots of supplements are available that are known for boosting testosterone levels in men. These boosters are available in stores. However, a person may or may not get any effect with these claimed boosters. Some supplements may increase muscle mass but not increase the testosterone level. A person may also face some side effects of these supplements. You should ask a doctor before taking any testosterone boosters.
Natural medications
Lots of natural medications and remedies are also available to increase testosterone levels. A natural low T treatment New York can improve the testosterone production rate in men. These remedies are prescribed according to the man’s physical and mental condition. Natural medications for low T do not cause any harmful side effects to the body.
Testosterone replacement therapy
This therapy helps in treating abnormally low levels of testosterone. It also maintains other symptoms of low T like ED, sex drive, mood changes, etc. Several options are available for testosterone replacement therapy like testosterone patches, topical testosterone gel, intramuscular testosterone injections, etc. But testosterone replacement therapy has some side effects. When a person is having this therapy, he has to do frequent blood tests to check his testosterone level. The person also has to monitor the side effects like acne, fluid retainment, blood clots, sleep apnea, prostate enlargement, etc.