Living With Low Testosterone Levels

Low testosterone affects men in many different ways. When testosterone levels fall too low, it can cause problems that range from decreased sex drive, hair loss, mood swings, and even mental issues. Fortunately, most low testosterone symptoms are treatable.

Symptoms of Low Testosterone

Low Sex Drive

Testosterone is essential to maintaining a man’s sex drive and testosterone levels naturally decreases as they age. However, a more drastic drop in sexual urges happens with early low T.

Erection Issues

When a man has testosterone levels that are too low, he may have difficulty getting or keeping an erection hard enough or long enough for sexual intercourse with a partner.

Decreased Semen Volume

Higher levels of T means a man has more semen which means higher concentration of sperm in most cases. Men with low T often mention a decrease in sperm levels during ejaculation.

Hair Loss

Balding is normal and happens as they age for many men. However, when low T is involved a man may experience more extreme and far-spread loss of body and facial hair.

Fatigue

Sleep issues and feeling tired with no energy, even after a decent night sleep and normal levels of activity during the day are commonly reported symptoms of low testosterone levels.

Muscle Problems

Testosterone helps with the building and strengthening of muscle, and this means that for men with low T levels they have difficulty putting on and keeping muscle mass.

Body Fat Increase

Fat burning and the formation of fat cells are closely tied to testosterone levels for men so low levels of the hormone can cause unsightly at deposits such as man-boobs and love handles.

Brittle Bones

Osteoporosis is generally thought of as woman’s issue. However, low T levels in men can also lead to bone loss and lead to more brittle and fragile bones.

Mood Changes

Testosterone influences many physical aspects of the human body and it can also influence mood and mental capacity, which leads to massive mood swings at times.

Treatments Available

It is always best to talk to your primary care provider about any of your symptoms and concerns about your health. This is important in order to learn what is causing your symptoms and what treatments are the best option to address your low testosterone. If your symptoms are severe and testosterone levels are significantly low, hormone replacements are the most common treatment used. In addition, anyone struggling with the symptoms and side effects of low testosterone should consider the following options as possible treatments that can help them restore optimal hormonal balance:

• Work to make adjustments to daily lifestyle activities and choices in order to maintain a healthy regiment for diet and exercise- when the body is healthy and balanced the hormone levels are more balanced and better regulated.
• It has been shown through several studies that poor sleeping habits leads to increased stress which affects the production of hormones including testosterone.
• Stay active and exercise at least moderately every day as much as possible, this is because exercise stimulates the release of testosterone.
• For the men who are in a steady romantic relationship, communication is key, especially if there are symptom of testosterone deficiency that is impacting sexual performance. You can discuss your feelings, frustrations, and make plans for treatment together.
• Men who experience erectile dysfunction may want to consider talking to a health care provider about treatments specific to treating ED and related issues.
• Impaired concentration, lack of recall, trouble with memory, foggy brain, depression, and anxiety can all be symptoms of low testosterone levels that many men experience but do not realize are related to their testosterone levels.

What to do now?

If you think your symptoms are related to possible low testosterone levels it is important to speak with your doctor or health care provider. Be honest with them about what you are experiencing and be open to the ideas and suggestions they have for possible treatments and steps you can take to improve your testosterone level.