What is testosterone deficiency?
Testosterone deficiency, also known as low testosterone or hypogonadism, is a condition where the body does not produce enough of the hormone testosterone. This can occur in both men and women and has several potential signs and symptoms.
Some key things to know about testosterone deficiency:
- It is typically diagnosed when testosterone levels are below 300 ng/dL in men and below 30 ng/dL in women
- Common symptoms include low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, increased body fat, and mood changes
- It can be caused by problems in the testes or ovaries not producing enough hormones, or issues in the pituitary gland or hypothalamus
- Blood tests measuring testosterone levels are used to diagnose the condition
Signs and Symptoms
Some common signs and symptoms of low testosterone include:
- Decreased sex drive/libido - Men may experience fewer spontaneous erections
- Erectile dysfunction - Trouble getting or maintaining erections
- Fatigue/low energy - Unexpected tiredness and lack of motivation
- Increased body fat - Particularly around the midsection and hips
- Loss of muscle mass - Losing muscle tone despite exercise
- Loss of body/facial hair - Less overall body and facial hair
Other possible symptoms are depression, irritability, loss of focus and concentration, thinner bones, smaller testicle size, hot flashes, and gynecomastia (male breast tissue growth). The symptoms can develop slowly over years.
Causes
There are several potential causes behind testosterone deficiency:
- Primary hypogonadism - Testes do not produce adequate testosterone. Caused by genetic defects, infection, testicle injury, etc.
- Secondary hypogonadism - Pituitary gland does not signal testes properly. Caused by inflammation, tumors, radiation treatment, etc.
- Normal aging - Testosterone levels peak in the 20s and gradually decline with age
- Obesity - Being overweight is linked with lower testosterone
- Type 2 diabetes - Men with diabetes tend to have low testosterone
Diagnosis and Treatment
If testosterone deficiency is suspected based on symptoms, blood tests can help confirm the diagnosis. These tests measure total and free testosterone levels in the blood.
Treatment typically involves testosterone therapy to restore levels. Options include injections, gels/creams, patches, and pellets placed under the skin. This can relieve symptoms and help regain muscle mass, strength, bone density and sex drive.
I hope this overview on testosterone deficiency was helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.