Easy Plans In low testosterone - A Closer Look

There's a fantastic reason men go girl-crazy in their teens and description twenties: Their read the article testosterone levels are at their peak. From that a fantastic read 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.

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

While reduced testosterone is more common in older men, it may occur in younger guys also. Luckily, all the causes of low testosterone in young guys are treatable, so if you experience such symptoms at any age, there's no reason to dismiss it.


For younger guys, a fall in testosterone levels can be caused by some ailments, such as type 2 diabetes, chronic liver or liver disease, COPD or other lung disease, or adrenal gland problems, 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 which can cause 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 sexual medicine at the Smith Institute for Urology of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.

Other causes of low testosterone in males younger than 50 include pituitary gland tumors, HIV infection, and radiation treatment or chemotherapy for cancer.

Doctors categorize causes of low testosterone as secondary or primary.

"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.

Is It 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.





Not everyone with low testosterone needs treatment. "When it comes to treating low testosterone in younger men, 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 only in the brief term, and if a physician has close observation and knowledge of the individual," Gilbert says.

An important consideration for younger men before getting treatment is fertility. "You don't want to give supplemental testosterone to guys who want to be 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 think about alternatives which may increase their testosterone as well as maintain their semen production," he states. 1 such choice is a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs).

Other treatments for low testosterone include weight loss and other lifestyle changes, like eating healthier and increasing exercise.

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

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