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Testosterone is a hormone produced by the human body. It’s mainly produced in men by the testicles.
In men, testosterone is responsible for male sexual development. Testosterone stimulates sperm production as well as a man’s sex drive and erectile function. It also helps build muscle and bone mass.
Less than normal testosterone levels can be caused by a number of disease conditions. However, the most common cause of low testosterone in men, is the normal decline of testosterone that occurs as we age.
Women experience menopause as their hormone levels drop once they are past their child bearing years. Men go through a similar condition known as “andropause.” Unlike, menopause, which occurs at a certain age in women, the symptoms of andropause develop slowly as a man’s testosterone level decreases with age.
A man’s testosterone level peeks in his twenties. After that it starts a slow decline. After the age of 35, a man can expect a drop in testosterone levels of about 2% every year.
Andropause is also known as low testosterone, or Low-T.
It is important to learn to recognize the signs of low testosterone.
In men, low testosterone is usually defined as less than 300 nanograms (ng) of testosterone per deciliter (dl) of blood. According to the American Urology Association, by this definition, about 2 in every 100 men have low testosterone.
The signs and symptoms of low testosterone in men include:
Low testosterone can have a serious impact on your quality of life.
While it is considered a “male” hormone, women’s bodies make and need testosterone too. The ovaries and the adrenal glands produce the testosterone needed by females.
Both men and women can suffer from low testosterone. Woman start to experience the signs and symptoms of low testosterone as they enter menopause. When we think of menopause we think of the loss of estrogen and other female hormones. However we now know that the drop in testosterone production in post child-bearing years, also contribute to the many debilitating symptoms of menopause.
Many of the signs and symptoms of low-T such as: fatigue, weight gain, mood swings and cognitive difficulties, are the same in women as in men. Other symptoms are specific to women. The symptoms of low testosterone in women include:
As they age, both men and women can develop the symptoms of low testosterone.
Around the time that menopause begins, along with the loss of female hormones, a woman may also experience the symptoms of low testosterone because the ovaries are producing less testosterone.
The only way to receive a diagnosis of low testosterone is to have the testosterone levels in your blood tested. But before that, your doctor will evaluate your symptoms, as well as take a full medical history, and conduct a complete physical.
After doing all of that, if your doctor suspects you may have low testosterone, he or she will take a blood sample to measure your testosterone level. Your level of testosterone changes during the day. Your doctor may want to do the blood test first thing in the morning. Testosterone levels are at their highest in the morning.
If you fall below that range and have the symptoms of low T mentioned above, a diagnosis of low testosterone will likely be given.
The only medically proven treatment for low testosterone is testosterone replacement therapy. Testosterone replacement can be given in the form of gels, patches, oral medication, sub-dermal pellets, or direct testosterone injections. Our doctors have found that testosterone injections are the most effective form of testosterone replacement.
Testosterone injections are simple to learn how to do, and are painless. Depending on your diagnosis, you will probably have to take testosterone injections every 7 to 14 days.
Most men feel improvement in symptoms within four to six weeks of taking testosterone replacement therapy. It can take from three to six months to experience all of the many benefits of testosterone therapy.
There are many benefits of testosterone replacement therapy. These include:
The best way to treat the signs and symptoms of low testosterone is with testosterone replacement therapy.
Now that you know a little bit more about the signs and symptoms of low testosterone and how to treat them, contact us today, and take your first steps to a healthier tomorrow.
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