Low testosterone in men: symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment

Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Medical Director of Medscan Group of Companies

“Testosterone is the main male hormone, which actually makes a man a man. Today we will talk about the causes of its decrease”.

It is important to make a caveat here – there are no male and female sex hormones, the only difference is its amount.

Table of Contents

Functions of testosterone

Testosterone in men is produced in the testicles and in the adrenal cortex. It is responsible for the formation of secondary sexual characteristics of the male type (hair and the formation of a male-type physique, coarse low voice), as well as contributes to the growth of muscle mass, forms libido and is responsible for weight control, protecting against obesity.

Also, males need testosterone for sperm production. Levels of the hormone usually decrease with age, so older men tend to have low levels.

Symptoms of low testosterone

Testosterone deficiency occurs in about 7% of men over the age of 50. In this case, the following symptoms occur:

a decrease in the intensity of hair growth on the body (male type) and on the face;
decreased concentration, worsening of mood, depression;
decrease in muscle mass (not to be confused with body weight) and physical strength;
dry skin;
decreased sex drive;
erectile dysfunction (impotence);
impaired quality of nocturnal erections;
infertility;
general deterioration of health;
loss of bone density (development of osteoporosis);
abdominal obesity (abdominal obesity);
anemia;
increased sweating;
gynecomastia (breast enlargement);
irritability and insomnia.

Causes of testosterone deficiency

The main causes of a decrease in testosterone are important to divide into physiological and pathological.

In the first case, this is an age-related, natural, hormonal disorder that begins gradually. Deficiency is observed in men already after 30 years of age, when the production of active substances slows down by about 1% annually.

At the age of over 40, the level of synthesis of the hormone falls by 1.5% each subsequent year and, of course, requires correction under the strict control of a doctor. It is important to know that there are also pathological reasons for the decrease in testosterone.

These include, for example:

surgical removal of testicles for medical reasons (for example, testicular tumor);
bad habits: smoking, alcohol and/or substance abuse;
sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work;
unfavorable environmental conditions in the area where you live;
work with hazardous and harmful production factors, toxic substances;
hypertension, cardiovascular diseases;
taking medications (opioids, corticosteroids, corticosteroids, ketoconazole, hormones) without medical prescription;
high levels of bilirubin, which destroys testosterone;
renal failure;
endocrine diseases, pathologies associated with a shift in the hormonal background;
obesity and diabetes mellitus;
suffered inflammatory diseases and infections;
elevated levels of bad lipoproteins in the blood;
genetic pathologies, such as Down syndrome, Kalman, Klinefelter;
chronic stress.

It is worth explaining that constant stress leads to an increase in adrenaline and cortisol in the blood. These hormones can block testosterone, even if it is produced in sufficient quantities.

Diagnosis

Although many symptoms can be associated with low levels of the hormone, the most important indicator of deficiency is a simple blood test for total testosterone levels in the blood or free testosterone in saliva. Your doctor may also order additional tests if necessary.

How to raise testosterone levels?

If the level of testosterone is reduced, then a natural question arises: how to increase it. Of course, the doctor can prescribe the intake of hormonal drugs and restore the indicators. However, if a man is still young and the reason for low testosterone is an improper lifestyle, then by changing his habits, he can restore the level of the hormone in a physiological way.

Let’s consider how a man himself without harm to health can independently stimulate the production of testosterone. For this purpose, the following set of measures is best suited:

1. Resume regular physical activity, and it is important to alternate between strength training and dynamic physical activity.

2. Normalize the emotional state. Cortisol and adrenaline must be reduced to remove the blockage of testosterone production. To do this, you can learn some simple exercises to restore emotional calm.

3- Adjust your diet and lose excess weight. It is important to completely give up gluten and sugar and exclude all products that contain them. Watch the amount of carbohydrates: if they are too much, it inevitably leads to an increase in serum insulin levels, which suppresses the production of testosterone.

4. Restore proper sleep patterns, as this is another reason that affects testosterone production.

5. Have your serum vitamin D levels analyzed and start correcting immediately if levels are reduced. This trace element is a system-forming element in the cascade of testosterone production.

6. Analyze serum iron, ferritin, transferrin levels in serum and immediately begin correction in case of low levels, because without iron there will be no normal synthesis of testosterone.

7. Test for omega-3 index levels on the erythrocyte membrane and if the index is below eight, start taking omega-3 fatty acids. They are responsible for the response of all the cells in our body to hormones and consequently to testosterone.

Such methods of restoring hormone levels are only effective up to the age of 45 and under the supervision of a doctor. After this age threshold, as a rule, you can not do without medication. Several classes of drugs are used to increase testosterone, but the most common method is testosterone replacement therapy.

Important! Drugs to increase the level of hormone should be prescribed only by a doctor, because such drugs have their contraindications and side effects, including infertility, sleep problems, exacerbation of cardiovascular disease, prostate enlargement, high cholesterol, hair loss. Their intake should be carried out under constant medical supervision.

Prevention of a decrease in testosterone levels in men

There are several ways that help to maintain normal testosterone levels. Among them are:

1. Healthy sleep. Lack of sleep increases levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which leads to lower testosterone levels.

2. Physical activity. Muscle development has a positive effect on testosterone levels. Not only strength training is important, but also cardio and endurance exercises.

3. Balanced diet. The diet should be rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to reduce the consumption of sugar and highly processed foods.

4. avoidance of bad habits. Alcohol and smoking negatively affect the level of testosterone.

5. Reducing stress levels. Stressful situations increase the level of cortisol and adrenaline, which slow down the production of testosterone. Meditation, yoga and other relaxation methods help to normalize the internal state.

It should be remembered that there are no known ways to prevent testosterone deficiency caused by genetic diseases, damage to the testicles or pituitary gland. In this case, only drug therapy helps.