Essential Criteria For low testosterone - Insights

There's a good reason guys go girl-crazy in their teens and twenties: Their testosterone levels are at you could check here their peak. From there, though, testosterone levels check this site out slowly decrease. helpful hints

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

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

While low testosterone is more common in older men, it can occur in younger men as well. Fortunately, all of the causes of low testosterone in young guys are curable, so in the event that you encounter these symptoms at any given age, there's no reason to ignore it.


For younger men, a fall in testosterone levels can be caused by some ailments, such as type 2 diabetes, diabetes, chronic liver or liver disease, COPD or other lung disease, or adrenal gland issues, according to Dr. Samadi.

Genetic causes of low testosterone in men include the ailments Klinefelter syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Myotonic dystrophy. Another disease that 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," says Bruce Gilbert, MD, PhD, an adjunct clinical professor of urology and reproductive medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and director of reproductive and reproductive medicine in the Smith Institute for Urology of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Additional causes of low testosterone in men younger than 50 include pituitary gland tumors, HIV disease, and radiation therapy 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 an urologist or endocrinologist.


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

Such testosterone supplements come in the form of gel, injections, patches, long-acting pellets, or oral inserts.

In these circumstances,"therapies are usually used only in the short term, and if 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 wish to offer supplemental testosterone to guys who want to be 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 think about alternatives which may improve their testosterone as well as preserve their semen production," he says. One 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 healthier and increasing exercise.

The main point, however, is that if you've got low testosterone symptoms, then it's important to see your physician. Then, your doctor can rule out more significant causes of your symptoms, including high blood pressure or a thyroid problem, and offer treatment that could improve your power and high quality of life.

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