Low Testosterone Symptoms
Low Testosterone Symptoms
Low testosterone symptoms are very common in aging men, so much so that they have been characterized by The National Institutes of Health. The actual classification of a condition where low testosterone symptoms would present themselves has been determined by the Harvard Medical School. According to Harvard, low testosterone symptoms begin to present when a man's blood level of free testosterone reads below 300 ng/dL. However, determining exactly what constitutes a condition where low testosterone symptoms would surface is a controversial matter. Low testosterone symptoms can occur with varying levels which fluctuate wildly depending on the time of day. However, generally physicians only decide to test a patient's testosterone level if they exhibit low testosterone symptoms which include:
- Reduced libido
- Reduced sperm count
- Hot flashes
- Increased breast size
- Impotence or erectile dysfunction
- Shrunken testes
- Reduced muscle mass
- Increased body fat
- Hair loss
- Increased propensity to bone fracture
Signs of low testosterone present in men as they age. Testosterone production increases during puberty and starts to decline after age 30 at a rate of about 1% per year. Signs of low testosterone are a natural result of aging.
In men, testosterone is produced in large amounts in the testes. Women produce small amounts in the ovaries, and both sexes produce a small amount in the adrenal glands. Testosterone is termed an androgen, which is a hormone responsible for the development of secondary male characteristics. Between the testes and the adrenal glands, men produce much more testosterone than women, but women do produce it, much like men produce small amounts of estrogen. Unfortunately, low testosterone symptoms become more profound as men age because their level of estrogen does not go down commensurate with testosterone.
Even before birth, testosterone is vital for the internal and external development of a male fetus, particularly his reproductive organs. It’s also critical during puberty, instigating a boy’s growth spurts, facial and body hair growth and changes in his genitalia. Testosterone can also contribute to aggressive behavior and enhance libido in both sexes, as well as signal the body to make new blood cells, keeping the muscles and bones strong during and after puberty.
Testosterone is considered by The National Institutes of Health as the most important hormone in men because it’s required for so many bodily functions, as well as considered to be a general promoter of overall health and well being. Testosterone is also important in women for maintaining bone strength and lean muscle mass, as well as contributing to overall well-being and energy levels. This hormone plays a key role in a woman’s sex drive and is responsible for enhancing sexual pleasure during intercourse. However, the levels of testosterone produced by females is still between ten and 20 times less than the amount produced by men. Other than diminished sex drive, women exhibit far fewer signs of low testosterone as men. However, they do exhibit some low testosterone symptoms. More accurately, they exhibit symptoms that have been known to be helped with low testosterone treatment. Osteoporosis, iron deficiency and muscle wasting, can be supported with low dose testosterone therapy.
