Male hypogonadism Symptoms & causes

Testosterone Therapy: Review of Clinical Applications

In males, the testosterone test can help find the reason for sexual problems, like reduced sex drive or erectile dysfunction. If you’re having a hard time getting your partner pregnant, the test can tell if your blood testosterone level is low. A low testosterone level can also mean a problem with the hypothalamus or pituitary gland, which controls how much testosterone your body makes. Testosterone travels in the blood in one of two forms, either bound to one of two proteins or free and unbound. The hormone binds tightly to sex hormone–binding globulin but only weakly to the second protein, albumin. Only the free and albumin-bound forms of testosterone are biologically active; together, they are known as bioavailable testosterone.

Contact your primary care physician if you think you may have low T and want to address it. They can talk with you about natural ways to increase testosterone, like exercise. And if appropriate, they can refer you to a specialist called a urologist. Your doctor can order testing and prescribe treatment if you have concerns and the measurement shows that your testosterone level is high. They’ll let one know whether you have normal, high, or low testosterone.

Generally, males have much higher levels of testosterone in their bodies than females. If you think you may have symptoms of low testosterone or excess testosterone, talk to your healthcare provider. High levels of testosterone in female infants may lead to enlargement of their clitoris that can look almost like a penis. It can also lead to precocious (early) puberty, which is when puberty begins before the age of eight. It’s unlikely — and difficult to tell — that a male adult has higher-than-normal levels of testosterone. The two charts below list the general normal ranges of testosterone based on age and sex.

That’s a hormone problem that can cause irregular periods and make it hard to get pregnant. Testosterone testing is part of the work-up of certain adrenal tumors. Your doctor uses it to diagnose conditions caused by too much or too little testosterone. Meanwhile, men who are really hypogonad should receive testosterone, but other men should not. The experience of millions of American women who took hormone replacement therapy before studies showed that it did more harm than good should help men resist temptation.

Beginning around age 40, men’s testosterone levels start to gradually drop by about 1 to 2% each year. Reduced testosterone levels are quite common, with over a third of men over age 45 having levels below what is considered normal for their age. Men may notice symptoms of fatigue, depression or loss of facial and body hair. Beyond the decrease in muscle mass, lower levels of testosterone can also cause brittle bones, which increases the risk of fractures.

Start your journey to vitality today by signing up for our monthly newsletter using the form below. You’ll receive the latest wellness strategies and tips to help you live a healthier, more fulfilling life. These include bleeding, infection, bruising, and feeling lightheaded. When the needle pricks your arm or hand, you may feel a slight sting or pain. Low T can cause physical symptoms and, in some cases, emotional/psychological concerns — mainly when the condition affects sexual performance. Some things that cause low testosterone can also cause a low sperm count. If your sperm count is low, your doctor might order this test.

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that, among men, low testosterone levels in the blood are linked to more severe COVID-19. The study contradicts widespread assumptions that higher testosterone may explain why men, on average, develop more severe COVID-19 than women do. Produced in the testicles in men, testosterone is responsible for the development of your male sex organs, so an imbalance of this vital hormone causes changes in sexual function.

In prepubertal girls, hyperandrogenism may lead to clitoromegaly, acne, and hirsutism. In adult males, the effects of excess testosterone depend on whether the source is from the adrenals or exogenous. Adrenal androgen elevations have few observable effects in males and do not cause an increase in muscle mass or hair growth. In adult females, increased adrenal androgens can lead to acne, hirsutism, menstrual irregularities, infertility, male-pattern baldness, or virilization.

In analyzing the literature, it is imperative to determine whether or not statistically significant results are clinically meaningful. Establishing total testosterone thresholds for a diagnosis of testosterone deficiency is challenging considering the heterogeneity that exists in the testosterone deficiency literature. The most accurate testosterone measurements are obtained in the early morning and on more than one occasion, which is not uniform across testosterone trials.

Some authorities have advocated that free testosterone should be the primary measure used to define testosterone deficiency. This is based on the concept that the free testosterone fraction is believed to be the most biologically active component. Although direct measurement of free testosterone has a generally good correlation with equilibrium dialysis, it is not reliable because of high CV. Well-established reference ranges constitute the essential basis for identifying whether the circulating levels of a particular analyte, testosterone in this case, are normal or low.