Low testosterone: Symptoms, causes, and treatment

Low Testosterone Male Hypogonadism UNC Mens Health Program

Even if your testosterone levels are below the recommended range, you still might not have to worry. Doctors say that a reading between 200 and 300 ng/dL is sort of a gray area. If your doctor diagnoses low testosterone, other tests may be considered before therapy. For example, low-t can speed bone loss, so your doctor may recommend a bone density test to see whether you also need treatment for osteoporosis. If you are concerned about low-T symptoms, or if you’ve tried therapies that didn’t work, talk with your primary care doctor or urologist. Feeling better starts with a conversation about your needs, goals, and lifestyle. Personalized care from a board-certified urologist or male fertility expert is the healthiest way to get there.

Some men go to their doctor’s office to receive testosterone injections. Frequency can vary from one injection every week to one injection every 10 weeks. (Most men have an injection every 2 weeks.) Shots may be placed just under the skin or directly into a muscle.

Both testosterone levels and cognitive functions—such as memory—decline with age. As a result, doctors have speculated that lower testosterone levels could contribute to affected memory. Erection problems in general are thought to be more of a byproduct of issues with blood vessels and nerves.

But if you do not have any key symptoms, especially fatigue and sexual dysfunction, which are the most common, it is not recommended you go on the therapy given the uncertainty about long-term safety. Doctors diagnose low testosterone based on a physical exam, a review of symptoms, and the results of multiple blood tests since levels can fluctuate daily. Men who are no longer interested in conceiving may benefit from safe, monitored testosterone replacement therapy. Some patients with genetic issues that cause subfertility, such as Klinefelter’s syndrome, may also benefit. You may think osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease, is a woman’s disease, but it can affect men as well.

That’s unnecessary, and so much chemical modification increases the risk of enlarged prostate or increases the risk of prostate cancer. Even safe and moderate testosterone therapy bears a slightly increased risk. However, consistent hormone replacement therapy helps improve sex drive, ease symptoms of depression and increase energy levels for those experiencing low testosterone. Around 25 percent of men with fertility issues are found to have low testosterone (also called hypogonadism or “low T”) on hormone testing.

As testosterone levels fall, the bones may get thinner, weaker, and more likely to break. On the other hand, changes in the body that occur as a result of sleep apnea can lead to low testosterone levels. TRT seems to be more effective in young men with very low testosterone levels.

While there may be some evidence that testosterone levels increase slightly with strength training, the evidence is controversial. Furthermore, the increases in blood testosterone levels are minimal and would not be expected to have any significant clinical impact on fertility. An exception to this may be men with significant obesity which is a risk factor for low T. If exercise is part of a weight loss program, then this can increase T levels substantially over time. Unfortunately, this seemingly basic concept is not as widely known as it should be within the medical community.

The care offered at Richmond University Medical Center goes beyond innovative treatments. Our team understands the emotional toll low-T and other male reproductive conditions can a man taking testosterone cause birth defects take. For this, we are happy to recommend and refer patients to counseling services and support.