Crucial Elements In Reduced testosterone - The Fundamentals

There is a fantastic reason men go girl-crazy in their teens and twenties: Their testosterone levels find out this here are at their you can look here peak. From there, however, testosterone levels click here for more info slowly decrease.

"After age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone," states David Samadi, MD, chairman of the urology department at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Though testosterone levels never reach zero (as estrogen levels do in women during menopause), low testosterone levels men to experience symptoms like fatigue, low sex drive, and reduction of muscle mass.

While low testosterone is more common in older men, it can occur in younger men as well. Fortunately, all the causes of low testosterone in young men are treatable, so if you experience such symptoms at any given age, there's no reason to dismiss it.


For younger guys, a fall in testosterone levels may be brought on by some ailments, such as type 2 diabetes, chronic liver or kidney disease, COPD or other lung disease, or pituitary gland issues, based on Dr. Samadi.

Genetic causes of low testosterone in males include the diseases Klinefelter syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Myotonic dystrophy. Another disorder which can result in low testosterone is hemochromatosis, making the body store too much iron.

"Low testosterone can also result when something happens, like trauma or steroid use, that prevents the testes from making the hormone," states Bruce Gilbert, MD, PhD, an adjunct clinical professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and director of reproductive and sexual medicine at the Smith Institute for Urology of their North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Additional causes of low testosterone in males younger than 50 include pituitary gland tumors, HIV infection, and radiation treatment or chemotherapy for cancer.

Doctors categorize causes of low testosterone as primary or secondary.

"Primary hypogonadism stems from a problem in the testicles," Samadi says. "This could be from a developmental issue, injury to the testicles, or radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

Can It Be Low Testosterone?

Irrespective of the reason, low testosterone symptoms would be the same.

"Symptoms include low libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, decreased mental acuity and moodiness," Dr. Gilbert says.



If your blood test reveals low testosterone (usually defined as a level lower than 300 ng/dL), the doctor may treat you or refer you to a specialist, such as a urologist or endocrinologist.


Not everyone with low testosterone needs treatment. "When it comes to treating low testosterone in younger men, we generally reserve treatment for those who have symptoms, such as tiredness and low libido," Gilbert says.


In these circumstances,"therapies are often used just in the short term, and when a physician has close monitoring and knowledge of the patient," Gilbert says.

An important consideration for younger men before getting treatment is fertility. "You don't want to give supplemental testosterone to guys who are interested in being fertile because it can turn off sperm production," Gilbert says.

Once a young man goes off testosterone supplementation, there's a chance his sperm count will never return to what it was before he started. "Therefore, men of reproductive age should consider alternatives that might improve their testosterone in addition to preserve their semen production," he states. 1 such choice is a category of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

Other treatments for low testosterone include weight loss and other lifestyle modifications, like eating healthy and raising exercise.

The main point, however, is that in the event that you've got low testosterone symptoms, it is very important to see your physician. Then, your doctor can rule out more serious causes of your symptoms, such as high blood pressure or a thyroid problem, and offer treatment that can improve your energy and high quality of life.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *