Top 5 Symptoms of Low Testosterone
Testosterone, the male sex hormone, begins to decline naturally after the age of 30. Other factors which cause a decrease in hormones include weight, illness, and personal habits like alcohol and drugs. In healthy adult men, testosterone can range from 300 to 1000 ng/dl. Your doctor may diagnose you with low testosterone when testosterone levels drop below 300 ng/dl. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has the following to say on the subject of testosterone, “In men, it’s thought to regulate sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm. A small amount of circulating testosterone is converted to estradiol, a form of estrogen. As men age, they often make less testosterone, and so they produce less estradiol as well.”
Treating low testosterone in Las Vegas requires hormone replacement therapy. Low testosterone comes with several negative side effects, both physical and psychological. Take a closer look at 5 of the most common symptoms of low-T, here:
1. Low Sex Drive: One of the first symptoms men notice when testosterone levels drop is problems with their sexual drive and performance. Some men experience erectile dysfunction, while others are simply less interested in physical intimacy. This can be extremely trying for both the man experiencing low-t and his partner, who may be confused by the sudden lack of sexual interest.
Before your doctor treats your ED or low sex drive, he or she will likely ask some questions and perform some tests on you to determine whether there’s a deeper issue. It’s important that low-t is treated using TRT rather than phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, like Viagra or Cialis, which would only temporarily improve erectile dysfunction. Speak to your doctor about the possibilities of TRT, or visit a testosterone clinic in Las Vegas to learn more.
2. Weight Gain and Reduced Muscle Mass: Ever wonder about that spare tire you’ve been struggling with since your 40’s? Well, it may not be food choises alone to blame. In fact, many men, even those who spend their free time at the gym, have a harder time keeping weight off and building muscle as they age. This is because testosterone plays a role in the way that your body metabolizes food and turns it into energy. According to a scientific article published in the Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology and Research, “There is an important research being published to demonstrate that testosterone may have key actions on metabolism, on the vasculature, and on brain function, in addition to its well-known effects on bone and body composition.”
This means that it’s going to take longer for you to burn fat and build muscle simply because your hormone levels are depleting with age. Receiving testosterone replacement in Las Vegas can help counteract this issue and give you an opportunity to take back your physical health. TRT is not a miracle weight loss treatment, but when combined with healthy choices and exercise it can drastically improve your odds.
3. Hair Loss: As men age, hair often begins to thin, which is usually chalked up to age alone, however, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes hair loss is caused by a drastic change in hormones. Just as hair growth is triggered by increased hormones during puberty, it can be negatively impacted as you get older and these hormones slow.
Most age and hormone related hair loss will be most noticeable along the hairline, which may begin to recede. Hair loss in other areas of your body, though less common, is also possible.
4. Fatigue and Feelings of Weakness: When your hormones begun to change it can cause some not so subtle changes to your sleeping routines. You may find that your biological clock starts running off cue, causing insomnia or drowsiness during the day. A symptom of low-t which may begin affecting your home and work life are feelings of fatigue. A 2008 research article in the Journal of Clinical Interventions in Aging states, “The symptoms of aging include tiredness, lack of energy, reduced strength, frailty, loss of libido, decreased sexual performance depression and mood change. Men with hypogonadism experience similar symptoms. This raises the question of whether some symptoms of aging could be due to relative androgen deficiency.”
There are many reasons for fatigue, so it’s best to watch for other symptoms on this list in tandem with the sleepiness before jumping to conclusions. If you feel chronically fatigued, with no other logical reason in mind, speak to your doctor about the possibility of low testosterone being the culprit.
5. Low Sperm Production: Unfortunately, infertility is another symptom of low testosterone. This is often due to the reduction of sperm being produced as hormone levels dwindle. Seminal vesicles and the prostate are both affected in a big way by testosterone, so when these levels fluctuate, there is less fluid during ejaculation. Your doctor should be able to catch this quite easily during fertility tests, however, which will fast track you to the correct treatment and increase chances of reproduction. For those experiencing the above 5 symptoms, there is testosterone replacement therapy in Las Vegas and other large cities across the United States available to you. Don’t wait to speak to you doctor, the earlier symptoms are caught and diagnosed, the greater chance for successful treatment. Other symptoms of low testosterone include changes in mood, including irritability and depression, low self-confidence, and even anti-social behavior.