15 Reasons Why Your Testosterone Is Low, Testosterone is the most important male sex hormone. It'S the reason boys go through puberty, but its function doesn't just stop there. Testosterone in men affects their appearance and sexual development. This hormone also stimulates sperm production and sex drive. What's more, it aids in building muscle and bone mass?
Suffice it to say having normal levels of testosterone is of paramount importance. Now. What if you suspect your testosterone levels are low? What made it happen in the first place? Was it purely due to aging, or was it because of other conditions like hemochromatosis?
What does testosterone do to a man?
Maybe it's because you're taking medications that interfere with the production of testosterone stick around to know more about the causes of low t levels. Understanding low testosterone in general testosterone levels declines with age. As such, older men tend to have low blood testosterone levels having low testosterone levels is also called testosterone deficiency syndrome low testosterone.
A low t syndrome is a group of symptoms that suggest a disease or health condition. Meanwhile, a deficiency is when the body has an insufficient supply of a needed substance.
How common low testosterone is relying on statistics alone won't give you the most accurate findings, as they are difficult to get and can vary a lot. However, experts, estimate about 2.1 percent may have to, that's two men in every 100.
In addition, one percent of younger men may have low testosterone, while around 50 of men over 80 years old may have low testosterone causes of low testosterone. There are many causes of low.
Consulting with your doctor is the best course of action as they'll work with you to figure it out. What'S the cause, that said, it doesn't hurt to do your homework.
First stress is a common contributor to overall body dysfunction. One of the things doctors notice in men with poor sleep, hygiene, apnea, or significant stress - is that they usually have a low level of testosterone.
Low levels can be broken down into two basic types: primary and secondary hypogonadism, each of which has its own set of possible causes of low testosterone such as testicle injury and undescended testicles for primary hypogonadism.
Why Your Testosterone Is Low
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic condition that affects males it's. When a man is born with three sex chromosomes x, x, and y, it's not inherited from the parents and occurs sporadically.
- The extra x chromosome can either come from the mother or the father in patients with Kleinfelder syndrome. Blood tests characteristically show a low testosterone level.
- Since it's a genetic problem, there's no reversing it. Thus, treatments for this condition are solely to help with symptoms and prevent long-term complications. One of these is testosterone replacement therapy.
- undescended testicles
some testicles don't descend before birth. It's the most common congenital abnormality of the male genitalia. In fact, it affects about 3 in every 10 male infants born prematurely.
In normal cases, testicles move from the abdomen to the scrotum having undescended, testes or also known as cryptorchidism increases the risk of developing testosterone deficiency.
- hemochromatosis
also referred to as iron overload. This condition happens when the body stores too much iron. It'S often genetic if untreated, it can result in end-organ dysfunction, including hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. It'S a form of the low t-level condition.
That'S due to a problem with the pituitary gland or hypothalamus in addition to low testosterone, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism can also result in delayed or absent pubertal development and infertility.
Certain types of testicular damage can also cause primary hypogonadism. It can be physical trauma or mumps infection.
- testicular trauma
the testicles hang outside of your body. So it's not much of a surprise how they're susceptible to injury.
Contact sports in particular are a magnet for testicular injuries. There is a range of possible symptoms of testicular injury.
This includes bruising and or swelling in the scrotum severe pain in the scrotum pain and discomfort in the lower abdomen and nausea and or vomiting.
- mumps orchitis is when one or both testicles are inflamed
This form of testicular injury is due to bacterial or viral infections. In most cases, it's caused by a bacterial infection such as a sexually transmitted infection.
Sometimes architecture can lead to infertility or inadequate testosterone production. Thankfully there are less likely if only one testicle is affected.
- cancer treatment
- cancer treatment chemotherapy can affect hormone levels, albeit rare chemotherapy can cause your testosterone levels to drop.
- In fact, many male cancer survivors have reported having developed testosterone deficiency after receiving chemo or radiation.
- Ultimately, this led to a significant impairment in quality of life and reduced energy levels and quality of sexual function.
- The pituitary, gland or hypothalamus is responsible for hormone production, including testosterone.
- HIV, aids, and obesity are some conditions in this category which we will be talking about more in a short while secondary hypogonadism.
- inflammatory diseases
inflammatory diseases, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, and histiocytosis are inflammatory diseases that can impact the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus low testosterone levels are found to be associated with systemic inflammation and increased metabolic risk. Also, it was found that the risk of testosterone deficiency is highest in men who are on a high, inflammatory diet.
- pituitary diseases
pituitary diseases are disorders of the pituitary gland caused by drugs.
Kidney failure or small tumors are another reason why some men have low testosterone levels.
An abnormality in the pituitary gland can impair the release of hormones from the gland to the testicles.
Thus it affects normal testosterone, production, pituitary, tumors, or other brain tumors near the pituitary.
The gland may also cause testosterone or other hormone deficiencies.
- HIV aids
Hiv aids affect the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the testes. Hence it can lead to low levels of testosterone.
According to studies, there is a high prevalence of testosterone deficiency in HIV-infected, men with hypogonadotropic dysfunction being responsible for the majority of cases.
In addition, patients with low levels were older, had bigger, waist circumference higher systolic blood pressure, and poorer glycemic control.
- Kalman syndrome
cowman syndrome Kalman syndrome or ks is a rare genetic disorder.
That'S characterized by a delay or absence of puberty signs and an absent or impaired sense of smell.
It's also a form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a condition resulting from a lack of certain hormones that direct sexual development.
Many people with ks aren't aware of their absent or diminished sense of smell until the impairment is revealed through testing. Besides those diseases that can lead to secondary hypogonadism acquired circumstances can also be the cause.
These are things such as taking certain medications being obese and more check them out here.
- natural aging testosterone levels are at their peak around age, 18 or 19.
levels then decline through the remainder of adulthood. As men get older, testosterone levels can drop. One percent per year after age 30., if the cause of your low t levels, is aging alone.
Experts advise against getting testosterone replacement therapy and consult with your doctor for the best option. Testosterone is available as gel pellets, injections, or patches.
- medications
medications. Some medications, including opioid pain, meds, and steroids, can affect the function of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.
Also, certain anti-anxiety, meds, or antidepressants can cause a shift in your hormone levels, specifically testosterone, statins as well or drugs, that lower cholesterol can cause low t levels.
Get your doctor's advice on which medicine is most suitable for your condition without affecting your t levels.
- obesity
obesity and low testosterone are closely linked. This explains why obese men are likely to have reduced testosterone.
Similarly, men with very low tea are more likely to become obese. It'S because fat cells are particularly high in aromatase.
Aromatases are enzymes that essentially build estrogen out of testosterone molecules.
Hence the more fat cells you have, the lower your t levels become.
- diabetes type 2
The link between diabetes and low testosterone has been established for quite some time now.
According to research, diabetic, men are more likely to have low testosterone.
Likewise, men with low testosterone are more likely to be diabetic later testosterone, aids, the tissues in getting more blood sugar.
In response to insulin, it's why men with low testosterone are usually resistant to insulin.
- concurrent illness
Are you currently under severe emotional stress, or maybe you're physically stressed due to recent surgery or an existing illness, either way, it can cause your reproductive system to temporarily shut down in turn, it interferes with the production of testosterone.
Do any of those 15 reasons apply to you? What is it comment? With your answers and experience about having low t levels below, you'll be surprised by how many men feel the same way as you.