Dangers of Having a Low Testosterone Level

What is Testosterone?

According to Urology Care Foundation, The Official Foundation of the American Urological Association, “Testosterone is the sex hormone that helps boys become men. This hormone is key during puberty and the development of male physical features. Testosterone helps to maintain men’s muscle strength and mass, facial body hair, and a deeper voice. Testosterone levels can affect men’s sex drive, erections, mood, muscle mass and bone density. Testosterone is also needed to produce sperm.”

What is Low Testosterone?

It is called hypogonadism, or Low-T as some may call it. Hypogonadism is a disease in which the body is unable to produce the normal amounts of Testosterone. There are 2 known causes of Male hypogonadism. Primary, a testicular failure is a type of hypogonadism where the problem originates in the testicles. Secondary, (Central Hypogonadism) indicates a problem in the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, it is part of your brain which control gonads and controls the testicles to produce testosterone.

What are the signs of having a Low-T?

The following symptoms may occur if testosterone production drastically drops. Signs of hypogonadism or Low-T are more often subtle and can be mistaken for a natural part of aging.

• 1. Difficulty in achieving erection.
• 2. Low Sex Drive
• 3. Low semen volume
• 4. Loss of Muscle Mass
• 5. Decrease In Bone Mass
• 6. Lack of Energy and Fatigue
• 7. Increase In Body Fat
• 8. Changes in Mood
• 9. Hair Loss
• 10. Abnormal breast growth
• 11. Infertility
• 12. Hot flashes
• 13. Reduced growth of penis and testicles
• 14. Osteoporosis

For Women, symptoms include the following:

• 1. Milky discharge from your breasts
• 2. Low or absent sex drive
• 3. Hot flashes
• 4. Loss of body hair
• 5. Lack of menstruation
• 6. Slow breast growth

What are the causes of Hypogonadism?

For Primary Hypogonadism:

• 1. Severe Infections
• 2. Kidney and Liver diseases
• 3. Radiation exposure
• 4. Too much iron in the body
• 5. Surgery on your sex organs
• 6. Undescended testes
• 7. Genetic disorders ex. Klinefelter and Turner syndrome

For Secondary:

• 1. Pituitary Disorders
• 2. Infections, including HIV and AIDS
• 3. Genetic Disorders
• 4. Inflammatory Diseases
• 5. Nutritional deficiencies
• 6. Obesity
• 7. Rapid weight loss
• 8. Brain surgery
• 9. Radiation exposure
• 10. A tumor near in or near your pituitary gland
• 11. Use of Steroids
• 12. Injury to your pituitary glands of hypothalamus

What can you do?

A blood test is a way to diagnose hypogonadism or a low-T level. Your Doctor will conduct a physical exam and imaging tests. An estrogen level test might also be conducted for females and testosterone level test for men. Physicians may prescribe testosterone injections and some other oral support. See a Doctor if you have any symptoms to get appropriate examinations.