Details In low testosterone About The Usa

There's a fantastic reason guys go girl-crazy in their teens and twenties: Their Read Full Article testosterone levels are at web link their peak. From there, though, informative post 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 loss of muscle mass.

While low testosterone is more common in older men, it can occur in younger men as well. Fortunately, all of the causes of low testosterone in young men are treatable, so if you experience these symptoms at any given age, there is no reason to dismiss it.

Causes of Low Testosterone in Younger Men

For younger men, a drop in testosterone levels can be caused by some illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, chronic liver or kidney disease, COPD or other lung disease, or pituitary gland issues, based on Dr. Samadi.

Genetic causes of low testosterone in males include the ailments Klinefelter syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Myotonic dystrophy. Another disease that can cause low testosterone is hemochromatosis, making the body shop too much iron.

"Low testosterone can also result when something happens, like trauma or steroid use, that prevents the testes from making the hormone," states 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 males younger than 50 contain adrenal gland tumors, HIV disease, and radiation treatment or chemotherapy for cancer.

Doctors categorize causes of low testosterone as primary or secondary.

"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. In secondary hypogonadism, the testicles are normal but function improperly because of a problem with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland."

Is It Low Testosterone?

Regardless 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.


If you suspect low testosterone, the first step is to see your primary care physician.

If your blood test reveals low testosterone (usually defined as a level lower than 300 ng/dL), the doctor may treat you or refer you to a specialist, such as a urologist or endocrinologist.


Not everyone with low testosterone needs treatment. "When it comes to treating low testosterone in older men, we usually reserve treatment for people who have symptoms, such as tiredness 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 short term, and if a doctor has close monitoring and knowledge of the patient," Gilbert says.

An important consideration for younger men before getting treatment is fertility. "You do not want to offer supplemental testosterone to men 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 think about alternatives that might improve their testosterone as well as maintain their sperm production," he states. One 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 healthy and increasing exercise.

The bottom line, however, is that in the event that you have low testosterone symptoms, then it's important to see your physician. Then, your doctor can rule out more significant 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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