Table of contents:
- What does testosterone do for men?
- What causes decreased testosterone levels?
- What is the impact on sex life if testosterone is low?
- Other health problems due to low testosterone
- How to treat low testosterone?
- When is treatment needed
Low testosterone usually occurs in men as they get older. The older you are, the lower your testosterone will be. About 20% of people in their 60s have low testosterone. And when they were in their 70s, this figure increased to 30% and reached 50% in their 80s.
What does testosterone do for men?
Testosterone is a sex hormone that is produced in male testes. The function of testosterone is to help the formation of sexual organs when baby boys are growing.
At puberty, testosterone is important for the physical development of male to male. With testosterone, boys can have more body hair, muscles, and a deeper voice. Later in life, male sexual function is also affected by testosterone.
What causes decreased testosterone levels?
As you get older, it's normal for your testosterone levels to drop. In addition, there are other causes that can lead to reduced testosterone. This includes injury to the testicles, or chemotherapy radiation to treat cancer in the genital area. Low testosterone can also be caused by pituitary gland disease, and drugs that affect these glands, such as steroids.
What is the impact on sex life if testosterone is low?
Low testosterone can have a big and important impact on men's health, especially on their sexual life. Low testosterone can cause erection difficulties, or difficulty maintaining an erection. Erections may become less frequent or become weaker than before. You can also reduce libido and frequency of sex due to low testosterone, and this will have an impact on your relationship.
Other health problems due to low testosterone
Not only sexual life, health conditions can also be affected by low testosterone. There are several symptoms of low testosterone to watch out for:
- weight gain
- lack of energy
- increased body fat and reduced muscle
- depression
- hard to concentrate
Lack of testosterone can sometimes have serious long-term effects on the body. Many people with very low testosterone have weak bones, which can lead to a condition called osteoporosis. With osteoporosis, you are more at risk of injury. In addition, low testosterone has been linked to heart disease and other ailments.
How to treat low testosterone?
You can be prescribed testosterone replacement therapy if you have low testosterone. Most men with low testosterone will be prescribed testosterone gel to rub on their arms or shoulders. Another method is to receive an injection in the muscle, or you can use eye patch which slowly releases testosterone into the blood.
You can also use pellets that are implanted under the skin. If you have prostate cancer, you should not undergo therapy to increase testosterone because it can increase cancer growth.
When is treatment needed
When you reach your 40s, you should go to the doctor to see if you have low testosterone. In addition, any symptoms that you suspect may be due to low testosterone should be watched out for and treated as soon as possible.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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