The Signs You Might Have A Testosterone Shortage
Our health can be influenced by a huge range of factors, some of them easy to pinpoint, but others are a lot harder to grasp. Hormones often fall in that latter category. However, you might be aware that something is off and, if you’re a man, it’s often a result of a testosterone deficiency. If you’re not certain if that’s what you’re dealing with, but you want to get to the bottom of it, here are a few of the signs that you might need a little help getting things back to normal.
Low Libido
One of the most notable signs is that you have a significant drop in your sex drive. There are a host of factors, such as mental health, that can affect your libido, but many of them are also potentially related to your testosterone levels. This can happen naturally due to age, but stress can also be a key factor. If you’ve been having fewer sexual thoughts than usual, don’t feel like pursuing intimacy as often, or just feel unmotivated when it comes to sex, your libido could have taken a hit. It fluctuates normally for all men, but a decrease that lasts for a long time typically indicates a medical reason that’s worth investigating.
Erectile Issues
The impact of low testosterone on sex goes further than just your motivation to have it. It can also impact your ability to attain (and maintain) an erection. Testosterone plays a key role in regulating blood flow, nerve sensitivity, and sexual response, so over time, it can contribute to erectile dysfunction, as well as weaker or less sustainable erections in general. One clear clue that you’re dealing with a hormonal issue is when morning erections become less frequent when you wake, as these are unconscious reactions often related to hormone levels, rather than others, which can just as often be influenced by mood and environment. Viagra and other medications can help you address erectile dysfunction and related problems, but it’s often worth tackling the issue at its source, too.
Fertility Issues
Sexual health goes deeper than your readiness to have sex, of course. Especially if you’re trying to conceive with your partner. To that end, when testosterone is low, sperm production and health can begin to take a toll, as well. This can include low sperm count and impaired sperm quality, both of which can make conception more difficult. Hormonal testing can be vital, in this case, as the symptoms of these issues in men aren’t often as easy to notice. However, there are some signs that you might notice, such as testicular shrinkage and reduced semen volume. Identifying low testosterone early allows for treatment approaches that support both hormone balance and reproductive goals.
Reduced Muscle Development
Low testosterone can often show up as difficulty gaining or maintaining muscle strength, leading to less muscle mass and reduced physical performance. This can persist even if you’re strength training at the gym and getting the nutrition you need. This can also result from reduced testosterone at a young age. Delayed puberty impacts muscle growth, as well as facial and body hair growth, and voice deepening. With the right prescription, you can find the best steroids online to help improve your muscle-building efforts, while direct testosterone treatments can ensure that the balance is restored in the long term, so that you don’t have to rely on such acute treatment for so long. Monitored steroid treatments have been successfully used to address a host of hormone-related issues.
Depression And Mood Issues
The effects of testosterone go much further beyond just your physical and sexual health; they can also impact your mental health. Many hormones influence brain chemistry and your ability to regulate your emotions, with testosterone being one of the most impactful amongst them. As such, low testosterone in men can result in persistent sadness and depression. It’s not always easy to notice, as it can sometimes feel stressed and irritable, or can result in a general feeling of low confidence. In other cases, it feels like things are emotionally “flat” or that you don’t feel much of anything at all. Depression can manifest in many ways and have many potential causes, so it’s important to make note of other symptoms, like those mentioned in the other points here, so that you can take notice when a hormonal imbalance might be playing a role.
Fatigue
We all get tired from time to time, but if rest doesn’t help to take the edge off, then it’s a sign that there’s a deeper cause. Persistent fatigue can happen when you’re not producing enough testosterone to regulate your energy levels and keep your metabolism active. You can have lower energy throughout the day, making you feel sleepy, unmotivated, and physically tired even when you’ve been getting enough sleep. As a result, exercise, work, and general daily tasks can feel a lot more difficult to complete. Restoring your testosterone levels can help dramatically. In fact, it’s often one of the first signs of successful hormone replacement therapy.
The Other Physical Changes
There are a lot of changes, minor and major, that can result from lower testosterone over time. They’re not always easy to see on their own. Aside from reduced muscle tone, you might begin to see increased body fat, particularly around the abdomen. Thinning body and facial hair are other common signs. Some men may even experience gynecomastia, which is the development of breast tissue, as the balance between testosterone and estrogen in the body goes off. Hair loss patterns can also emerge, though high levels of testosterone can cause that, also, so that’s not always a clear sign. These physical signs often develop gradually, making them easy to overlook. When multiple appearance-related changes occur together, it’s a clearer sign of a testosterone issue.
A lot of men go through significant periods of their lives with a testosterone shortage, but have no idea that it’s what’s affecting them. Talk to your doctor if the signs above sound familiar. There are treatments that can help you address many of these issues.
