Male menopause; Andropause; Testosterone deficiency; Low-T; Androgen deficiency of the aging male; Late-onset hypogonadism
Testosterone is a hormone made by the testicles. It is important for a man's sex drive and physical appearance.
Certain health conditions, medicines, or injury can lead to low testosterone (low-T). Testosterone levels also naturally drop with age. Low testosterone can affect sex drive, mood, and changes in muscle and fat.
Treatment with testosterone therapy may help reduce symptoms.
How Testosterone Affects Health
Testosterone makes a man look and feel like a man. In a man, this hormone helps:
Keep bones and muscles strong
Determine hair growth and where fat is on the body
Make sperm
Maintain sex drive and erections
Make red blood cells
Boost energy and mood
Causes of Low Testosterone
Beginning around age 30 to 40, testosterone levels may start to slowly decrease. This occurs naturally.
Other causes of low testosterone include:
Medicine side effects, such as from chemotherapy.
Testicle injury or cancer.
Problems with glands in the brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) that control hormone production.
Too much body fat (obesity). Ask your health care provider whether you need a test called free testosterone.
Other disorders, chronic diseases, treatments, or infection.
Symptoms
Some men with low testosterone do not have any symptoms. Others may have:
Low sex drive
Low sperm count
Sleep problems such as insomnia
Decrease in muscle size and strength
Increase in body fat
Trouble concentrating
Treatment Options
You will need a blood test to check your testosterone level as well as other hormones involved in the regulation of testosterone production. You will also be checked for other causes of your symptoms. These include medicine side effects, sleep problems, obesity, thyroid problems, or depression.
If you have low testosterone, hormone therapy may help. This treatment is called testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT. TRT can be given as a pill, gel, patch, injection, or implant.
TRT may relieve or improve symptoms. It may help keep bones and muscles strong.
You must also be aware of the risks of TRT which include:
Enlarged prostate leading to difficulty urinating
Blood clots
Worsening cardiovascular disease
Sleep problems such as sleep apnea
Cholesterol problems
At this time, it is unclear whether TRT increases the risk of prostate cancer or symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cardiovascular risks are also unclear. However, based on inconclusive data, the FDA does warn of a possible increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
At Optimal Sleep And Weight Loss Clinic, we can assist you with Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
Please contact us to discuss whether TRT is right for you.
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