Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Men
As you get older, your ability to produce testosterone declines. This decrease in testosterone production is sometimes referred to as andropause or female menopause.
If your testosterone levels fall below the normal range some typical symptoms may include:
- Changes in your mood (fatigue, irritability, depression, anger)
- Decreased body hair (feminization)
- Decreased bone mineral density and possible resulting osteoporosis
- Decreased lean body mass and muscle strength
- Decreased libido (low sex drive)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Increased abdominal fat
- Inability to concentrate
- Rudimentary breast development (man boobs)
- Low or zero sperm in your semen.
In addition to age-related low testosterone, there are certain medical conditions that can cause low testosterone. These medical conditions can begin at any time, and can affect testosterone levels throughout your life.
Some of these conditions are associated with the testicles, pituitary gland and/or hypothalamus (a part of the brain that controls many of the body's glands). Occasionally, the problem can be genetic.
In younger men, low testosterone production may reduce the development of body and facial hair. Muscle mass and genitals may not develop normally, and younger men's voices may fail to deepen.
A diagnosis of hypogonadism (a major cause of low testosterone levels) can be helped by using the AMS (Aging Males' Symptoms) rating scale.
The Ageing Males Symptoms (AMS) questionnaire is a 17 question self-rating symptoms based questionnaire with three key domains of assessment - mind (5 questions), body (7 questions) and sexual (5 questions). Responses to each question are assigned a rating 1-5 (none to extremely severe) and the total sum of all subscales provides a total score. Scores can range from a total low of 17 to a maximum of 85, with a score measuring greater than 50 considered severe.
The AMS is well suited to assist you in diagnosing testosterone deficiency and for monitoring your testosterone replacement therapy if you need it.
Take the AMS questionnaire to assess your testosterone levels.
Once you have determined that you are testosterone deficient testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) should be considered.
It is imperative that prostate or breast cancer be excluded prior to initiating TRT so you MUST see your doctor before starting a course of treatment.
Be aware that men CAN get breast cancer!
A blood test to measure a component in the blood called serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is conducted to check for Prostate Cancer. Such a test should be conducted prior to commencing testosterone therapy and should be mandatory in men over the age of 40 years.
Order Testosterone
