Are you going through male menopause?
Without enough of it, you can feel anxious, depressed, become intellectually muddled, and develop a low sex drive. Also, low levels of testosterone may result in a decline in muscle mass and strength, and an increase in upper body and abdominal fat. A little-known condition called androgen deficiency occurs when bodily tissues do not have […]
Without enough of it, you can feel anxious, depressed, become intellectually muddled, and develop a low sex drive. Also, low levels of testosterone may result in a decline in muscle mass and strength, and an increase in upper body and abdominal fat. A little-known condition called androgen deficiency occurs when bodily tissues do not have enough exposure to androgens, or testosterone, to function normally. There is hope — with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), lower-than-normal testosterone levels can be regulated and modified.
Who’s at risk?
While young males do not typically suffer from a testosterone deficiency, the presence of certain medical conditions that hamper the body’s ability to produce testosterone can result in this condition at any age. In fact, approximately one in 200 men under 60 years of age suffers from androgen deficiency.
The testosterone levels in men usually decrease with age. They gradually begin to fall from the age of 40 years and decrease by approximately 0.3 percent per year. It has been estimated that up to 20 percent of men over 60 will experience a decline in androgen production that is significant enough to warrant a diagnosis of androgen deficiency. Some controversy still exists over whether or not older men experience what is known as “andropause,” or male menopause, a much more gradual and subtle change of life than female menopause. The question of whether such naturally decreasing levels of testosterone should be remedied, or if TRT should simply be reserved for extreme cases, remains largely unanswered. For now, it is best to assume that unless your doctor diagnoses you with a deficiency, TRT is not the solution.
Diagnosis
To determine whether or not you are experiencing a deficiency and what may be causing it, your doctor can measure the amount of testosterone in your blood with blood tests. In addition to measuring testosterone levels, doctors sometimes measure prolactin levels to make sure your pituitary gland is functioning properly. Further blood tests, such as serum FSH, LH and thyroid tests, may also be necessary.
Normal levels of testosterone fall between 250 and 800 nanograms of testosterone per deciliter of blood. Levels in the same man vary according to time of day, season and exercise; therefore, your doctor must conduct an entire physical examination to determine whether or not you are suffering from the disorder. If you want to measure your testosterone level yourself, there are ways to do so. Testing kits allow you to measure the amount of available testosterone for use in your bloodstream; simply gather a sample of your saliva and mail it to a lab for analysis. Doctors and physicians will then identify any preventable hormone imbalances in your system and recommend solutions to normalize your testosterone level.
Causes
Contributing factors to the development of androgen deficiency include:
– Medications, especially those used to treat depression or mental disorders
– Alcoholism
– Chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer that targets or harms the testicles
– Chronic illness
– Dysfunction of the pituitary gland (a gland in the brain that produces substances that regulate hormone production from the brain to the testis)
– Hemochromatosis (too much iron in the blood)
– Hypogonadism (when the testis is not able to produce high enough levels of testosterone, aka androgen deficiency, or sperm, aka spermatogenesis)
– Inflammatory diseases, such as sarcoidosis (a condition that causes injury to or infection of the testicles)
– Illnesses, such as AIDS, that compromise the immune system
– Excessive stress, which taxes the adrenal system
Symptoms
The diagnosis of testosterone deficiency can only be made through a full medical examination by a doctor. If you suspect you may be suffering from androgen deficiency, please contact your doctor; however, some of the symptoms are as follows:
– Erectile dysfunction (the inability to get or maintain an erection)
– High cholesterol levels (having high cholesterol or high blood pressure causes hardening of the arteries, which can decrease blood flow to the testicles and cause enough damage to lower testosterone)
– Obesity, especially around the waist
– Depression
– Anxiety or mood swings
– Problems with concentration and memory or other cognitive and intellectual functions
– Low sex drive
– Decreased bone density, possibly leading to osteoporosis
Culled from foxnews.com