Testosterone is the male sex hormone. And it's what makes us different as fathers, and sons, and brothers than our wives, and mothers and sisters.
Testosterone affects every cell in the body, and is important in all of our secondary sexual characteristics.
It's why we as men grow beards, our body composition is different. Testosterone levels don't always drop as we age, although they definitely can. The symptoms of low testosterone are pretty varied. Often men will have decreased energy level.
Often decreased libido, or sex drive. Sometimes, you'll have a little bit of difficulty with erections. It's also difficult to maintain lean muscle mass.
There is an increased risk of osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones. We also can see an increased risk of what is called the metabolic syndrome, which is many of the diseases of modern America.
High blood pressure, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and those diseases can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious illness.
Men can occasionally see low testosterone in their mid-to-late 30s, but more commonly we see low testosterone in the mid 40s to mid 50s. The treatment options of low testosterone are to increase the testosterone levels. And there are a number of ways that we can do that. In young men, we often want to not treat with testosterone, but to trick the body into producing more testosterone.
And there are a number of medications that can increase testosterone production by the testicle. In men who are a little bit older, and less concerned about fertility we can increase testosterone levels by testosterone replacement. We can do that with topical testosterone, which are gels or patches that are applied to the skin. We can do that with injectable testosterone, which is injected into the muscle on a weekly basis.
Or, we can do that with implantable, long-term testosterone which is injected into the fat in the arm, and will slowly dissolve over time bringing the testosterone level up. We hear a lot about low testosterone on ads, on the radio and in the newspaper, and not everyone should be on testosterone.
Men with normal testosterone should not be supplemented with testosterone because there are some risks associated with testosterone replacement therapy. There are some minor side effects such as acne, worsening male pattern baldness.
There are other more serious problems such as an increase in the red blood cell volume, which can make the blood thick or sludgy, and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Young men who are put on testosterone are often rendered sterile, without the ability to conceive children. And that can be long-lasting and even permanent.
There are other risks associated with testosterone treatment if it's used inappropriately.
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