Low Testosterone: Signs and Symptoms Tampa General Hospital
When to treat low testosterone? Ohio State Health & Discovery
If you have low blood levels of testosterone AND symptoms that affect your daily life, your doctor may suggest taking supplemental testosterone. You may want to see a specialist to discuss the risks and possible benefits of treatment. Look for a urologist or an endocrinologist, a doctor who treats hormone problems. You may think osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, is a woman’s disease, but it can affect men as well. As testosterone levels fall, the bones may get thinner, weaker, and more likely to break. Studies show that low testosterone levels in males have an association with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.
Before birth, the testicles develop inside the abdomen and normally move down into their permanent place in the scrotum. Sometimes one or both of the testicles aren’t descended at birth. This condition often corrects itself within the first few years of life without treatment. If not corrected in early childhood, it can lead to malfunction of the testicles and reduced production of testosterone. This type of hypogonadism indicates a problem in the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland — parts of the brain that signal the testicles to produce testosterone. The hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which signals the pituitary gland to make follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).
Acne, an enlarged prostate, breast enlargement, and even a decreased sperm count can all occur during TRT. Depending on the cause of TD, there might be other medications a man can take to raise his testosterone levels. Some examples are aromatase inhibitors (AI), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM). If TRT raises testosterone levels but does not improve symptoms, providers may recommend that men stop TRT. It’s possible that the symptoms are not related to TD, and further evaluation could be necessary. Hematocrit is a measure of the percentage of red blood cells on the blood. As mentioned earlier, polycythemia— excess amounts of red blood cells—is a possible side effect of TRT.
This is not something you should be ashamed of – instead, it may be a sign of a larger medical concern. An estimated 2% of men under the age of 50 have low testosterone, and the numbers rise with age to about 8% of men over 50. Testosterone medications are controlled substances that can only be prescribed by a physician. According to Dr. Guise, men who use testosterone without physician supervision run several risks. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about low testosterone and what to do about it.
Prostate cancer patients on testosterone therapy should have their PSA levels monitored on the same schedule as men without testosterone deficiency; however, clinicians may choose to increase the frequency of testing. PSA recurrence in men on testosterone therapy should be evaluated in the same fashion as untreated men. A discussion regarding the benefit of stopping testosterone therapy should include the possibility of a decline in PSA. In addition to a decrease in sex drive, having trouble getting or maintaining an erection is one of the signs of low testosterone. Testosterone is responsible for sending signals to the brain to produce an erection, so if a man has lower levels of the hormone, the signal may not be strong enough. Erectile dysfunction can be caused by a variety of factors and conditions, so it’s a good idea to consult your urologist to get a proper diagnosis.
The use of certain drugs, such as opiate pain medications and some hormones, can affect testosterone production. HIV/AIDS can cause low levels of testosterone by affecting the hypothalamus, the pituitary and the testes. Severe hypogonadism can also cause mental and emotional changes. As testosterone decreases, some men have symptoms similar to those of menopause in women. If, on the other hand, it is due to the aging process, a testosterone replacement treatment can be prescribed, which could be every 6, 12, or 14 weeks, varying from patient to patient and seeking to cover their unique needs. Something to keep in mind, and in contrast to women’s menopause/climacteric, is that while any man can experience a drop in hormone levels, it doesn’t happen for everyone, compared to women who will all reach this stage of life.
If you have signs and symptoms of low testosterone, a healthcare provider will perform a physical exam. They’ll also ask questions about your medical history, medications you take or have taken, smoking history and any symptoms you currently have. Any issue with your testicles, hypothalamus or pituitary gland can cause low testosterone (male hypogonadism). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration clarified in 2015 that prescribing testosterone for low testosterone levels due to aging constitutes off-label use.
Treatments that you can take care of yourself include healthy eating and some food supplements to boost your overall health. We will discuss specific foods that can help boost testosterone levels in our Frequently Asked Questions below. A research article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association studied the links between low testosterone levels and anemia. It reported that administering a testosterone gel to anemic men resulted in improved blood counts compared with men administered a placebo. Even though male pattern baldness happens naturally to many men, a drop in testosterone can also be a big reason men lose their hair. Persons with low testosterone may lose hair all over their bodies and not just on their heads.
Because of this variation, it’s important to schedule a blood draw in the morning—especially for younger men, whose testosterone levels vary more drastically than those of a man over 65. The condition of low testosterone—also called hypogonadism—refers to an inadequate amount of testosterone to stimulate the male growth hormone vs testosterone bodybuilding receptors on some cells in the body, such as in the male reproductive organs, muscles and bones. Men’s health topics are important to discuss with a doctor, but for many men it is difficult to have these conversations with their health care provider. Discussing sex, prostate health and hormonal imbalance can be uncomfortable, but understanding these conditions and how they affect overall health is critically important for every man. One important aspect of study design is the specific endpoints and objective measures used to identify outcomes. Studies are often specifically powered and designed to address a key efficacy endpoint, such as a particular symptom improvement, and not to address secondary symptom improvement or adverse events.
Amy Guise, MD, a urologist with Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network, identifies the myths and shares the facts. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a urologist recommending these gimmicky, untested products. Still, testosterone is important to a man’s health, says UNC Health urologist Marc J. Rogers, MD. Here’s the real deal about why, and what to do if you’re concerned about low testosterone. Dr. Martin Miner is a family practice physician specializing in men’s health. He is chief of family and community medicine at The Miriam Hospital, and co-director of its Men’s Health Center.
