Low Testosterone
If any word is synonymous with male virility, it’s testosterone. That’s because testosterone is a hormone important to male sex drive and physical performance.
However, testosterone levels naturally drop with age. Certain health conditions, medications, or injuries can also result in low testosterone (low-T), affecting your sex drive, mood, and changes in muscle and fat. Research shows that a third of men over age 45 have low testosterone.
In addition, testosterone helps regulate much of the body’s chemistry, and when levels decrease, many organ systems are affected. In fact, low testosterone has been linked to bone loss and heart disease.
Testosterone levels naturally start to decrease slowly between the ages of 30 and 40. Low testosterone can also be attributed to:
- Medicinal side effects, such as from chemotherapy
- Testicular injury or cancer
- Glandular disorders in the brain that affect hormone production
- Low thyroid function
- Obesity
- Other conditions, chronic diseases, infections, or medical treatments
Low Testosterone Symptoms
Symptoms of low testosterone include weight gain around the abdomen, loss of muscle tone in the arms and legs, fatigue, depression, difficulty sleeping, and trouble concentrating. While some symptoms may be a normal part of aging, maintaining a healthy sex drive and sexual activity offers multiple health benefits for men and their partners.
There are numerous therapies for low testosterone ranging from dietary changes and weight loss to medication and hormone replacement therapy. With treatment, most patients report improvement in the way they feel, renewed energy, and a return of their sex drive.
Low T Treatment in Winston-Salem & Wake Forest, NC
What is important to remember is that not all men develop low testosterone and there may be other explanations for low energy, depression, and weight gain. To find out if you or your partner is suffering from low testosterone, call Wake Forest Men’s Health at (336) 716-4131 to arrange a consultation with Dr. Ryan Terlecki or complete our online request an appointment form.
