The word testosterone is associated with men. Testosterone is a hormone that affects men’s sex drive and muscular build.
Have you or someone you know ever dealt with the struggle and effects of having low testosterone levels?
In this article, you will read about the importance of testosterone, symptoms of low testosterone, causes of low testosterone, testing, treatments, and natural ways to boost your testosterone.
What is Testerone?
Testosterone is a hormone that is found in both men and women. Men produce a much more considerable amount of testosterone than women. This hormone gives men their internal and external factors. Women often have smaller amounts of testosterone and more significant amounts of estrogen to give them feminine characteristics.
With age in men, testosterone levels may drop. Continue reading to discover the symptoms, causes, and treatment to boost testosterone levels.
Some men will experience what is called Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TD) or Low Testosterone (Low-T). This means the body is not getting enough testosterone, which decreases its levels to produce testosterone.
Decreased Muscle Mass
Testosterone plays a huge role in the development of muscle build. With age and an inactive workout routine, men may experience a significant decrease in muscle. This is due to testosterone levels spiraling down a downward path.
Sex Drive
Men need testosterone to build a desire to reproduce. A loss in sperm count may become an issue in low testosterone when one is trying to produce. Another common sign that your testosterone levels are lacking is a loss of interest in sexual activities.
Decreased Energy
If someone is experiencing low testosterone levels, they may feel tired, restless, and unmotivated during all hours of the day. Testosterone plays a huge role in energy levels.
Body Fat
Men may develop serious weight gain when testosterone levels are low. This is most commonly found in the breast area. Men may develop gynecomastia. This typically happens when a male is a prodigy with large amounts of estrogen.
Causes of Low Testerone
While one of the leading causes of low testosterone comes with age in males, other factors can play a huge role.
If a male experiences injury to the testicular area or is undergoing cancer treatments, this can be why they are experiencing low testosterone levels.
Other factors affecting lower testosterone levels can be depression, alcoholism, weight, AIDS, and cancer.
Testing Your Testosterone Levels
Something as simple as a blood test can determine your testosterone levels. The average “normal” testosterone levels range between 280 and 1,100 nanograms per deciliter for adult males. If a male’s levels are under 300, a doctor may consider treatments to help boost her levels back up to the desired range.
A low T test in an adult man could mean something wrong in the pituitary gland. More commonly, younger men will experience this during the peak of puberty.
If a man’s testosterone levels are above the average range, this could result from an adrenal gland disorder or even cancer of the testes.
Your doctor may want to run a series of blood tests on you to determine the best route to go with treatment.
Total Testosterone level
Testosterone levels decrease as time goes on in the day. Your doctor may have you come in earlier in the day to take two total testosterone level blood tests.
Luteinizing Hormone
This test is generally used to find the main reason you have lower levels of Testerone.
Blood Prolactin Level
If your prolactin levels come back high, your doctor may advise you to take several more tests to find out why this issue is coming about. This could be a sign of pituitary problems or tumors.
Blood Hemoglobin
This test may be required if you are an active tobacco or drug user.
Different Methods of taking Testerone
There are a total of five different methods when taking testosterone.
Transdermal
Transdermal is a topic that often lasts up to four days. This topical absorbs into the skin and goes into the bloodstream. It would be best if you usually avoided areas with cuts, bruises, or gashes to help better the treatment.
Injection
Testosterone injections will be given either under the skin or injected directly into the muscle. Injections are usually given either weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.
Oral
The oral dose comes in a patch that you place above the tooth. The medication looks like a tablet but you should not chew or swallow it. This drug will be slowly released over 12 hours.
Intranasal
This treatment comes in the form of a gel inserted into the nostril and taken twice daily.
Pellets
This medication is a patch inserted under the buttocks’ skin. The duration of this treatment is 3 to 6 months.
Like any prescribed treatment, there are side effects. Be sure to speak with your doctor about the medicine you are taking.
Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone
Exercise
Testosterone is a hormone that is designed to help men perform more athletically and also have the ability to push their limits. Exercising is a great way to increase one’s testosterone levels naturally. Ways in which you can exercise are as easy as going for runs, lifting, and engaging in active activities. By exercising each day, you can help boost your levels.
Eating Habits
Having healthy eating habits is crucial for raising testosterone levels. Foods such as beef, chicken, and greens are recommended. When consuming high levels of proteins, healthy fats, and carbs, your energy and testosterone levels will rise.
Also high protein diets i.e. the Vertical Diet are great choices for those on Testosterone.
Supplements
Taking multivitamins and Zinc is proven to be a great result of boosting testosterone. Getting in the habit of taking supplements each day will help the body and mind. Remember not to take more than the directed amount calls for. If you are unsure where to start, talk to a medical provider.
Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important things for both men and women to balance. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body and mind will begin to shut down as well as your testosterone levels.
Conclusion
After reading this article, we hope you understand more about the symptoms, causes, treatments, and importance of why men may experience low levels of testosterone. If you or someone you know is experiencing this issue, we advise you to check out more on the Lindy Health website.
Remember to always speak with a medical professional before starting any treatment.
Dr. Nellis is passionate about sports nutrition and helping his patients live healthy and fulfilling lives.
He lives and practices medicine in Denver, CO, with his wife and beloved Mastiff Leonardo.
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