Essential Criteria For low testosterone - Insights

There is a good reason guys go girl-crazy in their teens and twenties: Their go testosterone levels are at you can try here their peak. From that Full Report point, though, testosterone levels slowly decrease.

"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 libido, and reduction of muscle mass.

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


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

Genetic causes of low testosterone in males include the ailments Klinefelter syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Myotonic dystrophy. Another disorder which could 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 at the Smith Institute for Urology of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Other 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 secondary or primary.

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

Can It Be Low Testosterone?

Regardless of the cause, low testosterone symptoms would be the same.

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

"Younger men with low testosterone usually come to me and say, ‘I can't work out like I used to, and I've lost interest in sex.’ ”

Your doctor can diagnose low testosterone with a blood test.


Treatments for Low Testosterone in Younger Men

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

In men who don't make the hormone in their testes because of a condition such as Klinefelter syndrome, or those who have lost their testes because of cancer, the only option is testosterone replacement therapy. Such testosterone supplements come in the form of gel, injections, patches, long-acting pellets, or oral inserts.

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

An important consideration for younger men before getting treatment is fertility. "You don't want to offer supplemental testosterone to guys who are interested in being fertile since 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 maintain their semen production," he states. 1 such choice is a class of drugs known as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

Other treatments for low testosterone include weight loss and other lifestyle modifications, such as eating healthier and increasing exercise.

The bottom line, though, is that in the event that you've got low testosterone symptoms, it's very important to see your doctor. Then, your doctor can rule out more serious causes of your symptoms, such as hypertension or a thyroid problem, and give treatment that can enhance your power and quality of life.

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