Low Testosterone: What It Can Mean For You

Men and women are similar yet different creatures. These differences are not just the most obvious physical ones. There are subtle differences to the bodies of men and women and how they both function. These differences begin to manifest themselves with the onset of puberty and are by and large hormonal, or related to the discharge of hormones. They have to do with the male hormone, testosterone, and the female hormone, estrogen. Even something as simple as how our bodies grow, their size and muscle density and the way we accumulate and store fat are different for the different genders. These male and female hormones most directly affect and bring about the development of those features and characteristics that identify or mark us most obviously as male or female. Hormonal imbalances or problems with the amount of hormones that our bodies produce can affect us in a variety of ways as subtle as they are dire.

A relatively large percentage of the male population may suffer from low testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for all the features of an adult male that identify him as an adult male of the species. Hormones are chemicals produced by the glands in the body, which act as catalysts and stimulators for a number of essential functions. The hormone testosterone is produced primarily in the male testicles. A small amount of testosterone is also produced by the adrenal glands, which are mainly responsible for the production of the hormone adrenaline. In the female, the ovaries also produce a limited amount of testosterone. Testosterone is what causes the male genital organs to develop when the male fetus is developing in its mother's ovaries. Testosterone is produced throughout the lifetime of the body and stays active for its entirety. It is essential to a number of functions apart from being instrumental in the development of the male genitals.

Testosterone is the hormone that at puberty triggers the growth of pubic and facial hair in men. It causes a deepening in the voice of a boy, and allows for bones and muscles to grow bigger and stronger. Throughout life it is important for maintaining the volume and strength of bones and muscles. In adult males, it is responsible for stimulating the production of spermatozoa, and in maintaining the male libido. The male sex drive or desire for sex depends entirely on testosterone. The level of testosterone available to the body is carefully regulated by it, and varies throughout the day, being highest in the morning.

There are a number of symptoms that are easily identifiable which indicate a low testosterone level. A low libido or decrease in sex drive may be caused by low levels of testosterone in the body. Impotence or erectile dysfunction, where a man has a problem having or sustaining an erection, may also be caused by low testosterone. A lowered sperm count or male infertility are other common symptoms that indicate that the body is not producing as much testosterone as it needs. Men with low testosterone may also suffer from depression, irritability, hot flashes and increased breast size. In extreme cases, where the levels of testosterone have fallen drastically low, they may suffer from hair fall. In such cases, it can also have an effect on muscle deterioration and bone density, which may make the patient more vulnerable to fractures and bone breakage as the bones become more fragile.

Aging is the primary cause of fall in levels of testosterone. However, hormonal diseases may also affect the production of testosterone in various and subtle ways as the hypothalamus regulates the production of testosterone in the body through the pituitary gland. Like women go through menopause when their bodies decrease the production of the female hormone estrogen, men may also start producing less testosterone beyond a certain age. Any disease or accidental damage to the centre of production, that is the testes, can also have an effect on the levels of testosterone produced. As such, testicular cancer, or radiation therapy and chemotherapy used in the treatment of testicular cancer may cause the production levels of testosterone to drop. Drugs such as morphine, and diseases that affect the pituitary glands or the hypothalamus, may both be responsible for low testosterone as well.

Males suffering from any of these symptoms may go to a doctor and get tested for their testosterone levels. This can be done through a simple blood test. Normal levels of testosterone production lie within the range of 300 to 1200. After it has been established that the patient is in fact suffering from Low T, the doctor may proceed to try and determine the exact causes of the low levels of testosterone production. It is important to try and determine the causes before proceeding to treatment, as this may vary depending on the reasons for the drop in production levels of testosterone.


Back>>