High testosterone in males: Signs and symptoms

How Aging Affects Testosterone and Muscle Mass in Men

The American Urological Association estimates that 20 to 50 percent of men have testosterone deficiency. If you and your healthcare provider decide to treat low testosterone levels, you may be a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). With this treatment, you are essentially supplementing your body with the testosterone it’s missing. However, consistent hormone replacement therapy helps improve sex drive, ease symptoms of depression and increase energy levels for those experiencing low testosterone. Testosterone therapy may make sense for women who have low testosterone levels and symptoms that might be due to testosterone deficiency. However, the wisdom and effectiveness of testosterone treatment to improve sexual function or cognitive function among postmenopausal women is unclear. Classical male hypogonadism is when low testosterone levels are due to an underlying medical condition or damage to your testicles, pituitary gland or hypothalamus.

For most pharmaceutical products, the usage, dosage, and application is consistent across brands, and identification by chemical compound is sufficient to communicate to the reader when to use a given medication. While all products contain the same medication (testosterone), each product and modality has distinct pharmacokinetic and application attributes based on the excipient agents and the permeator components. If you are having symptoms of low testosterone, talk to your doctor or find one near you. Get treatment for sleep apnea, try to get diabetes and high blood pressure under control, and try to lose weight if you are obese. Testosterone levels may drop as quickly as 30 minutes after you drink alcohol. Heavy alcohol use can lead to reduced testicular function and testicular atrophy.

Testosterone testing requires a blood draw ordered by a doctor. The blood sample is usually taken during a visit to a doctor’s office, clinic, lab, or hospital. A testosterone test measures the level of the hormone testosterone in the blood. Low testosterone can be treated directly by taking hormone replacement therapy. While we’ve ensured that everything you read on the Health Centre is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.

Check with your doctor about how to prepare for your testosterone test, and carefully follow any instructions before the test. Testosterone tests are performed to determine the amount of testosterone in a blood sample. Often, we find that anxiety or depression – not hormonal imbalances – are the root cause of low-T-like symptoms. Suppressing your emotions can interfere with normal functions, such as focusing at work or maintaining an erection. If you truly have low-T, underlying stressors can make symptoms worse. It is well known that exogenous testosterone can – and often will – cause infertility. Unfortunately, some doctors prescribe testosterone to treat infertility, and inadvertently make the problem worse.

Some doctors suggest that monitoring testosterone levels every five years, starting at age 35, is a reasonable strategy to follow. If the testosterone level falls too low or if the individual has the signs and symptoms of low testosterone levels described above, testosterone therapy can be considered. Testosterone is considered to be the “male hormone” that’s produced in men by the testes. Sometimes in primary hypogonadism testosterone levels are within the normal range and gonadotropins are high.

A disruption in the pituitary gland can also impact the adrenal gland. Addison’s disease or adrenal insufficiency is a hormonal condition that occurs due to underactive adrenal glands and can cause a low level of its hormones. Often, the symptoms of low testosterone in women are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Some of the conditions that low testosterone may be mistaken for include stress, depression and the side effects of menopausal changes in women. Low testosterone over a long period may also contribute to long-term health conditions such as heart disease, memory issues and loss of bone density. Excessive alcohol consumption may increase levels of testosterone in premenopausal women, however, research is conflicting.

Testosterone levels are fairly even throughout adulthood for females. Certain conditions, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), can cause higher testosterone levels in females. Testosterone levels begin to gradually decline in males, starting in their 40s and 50s. In females, testosterone levels start declining after the age of 25. Erectile dysfunction and loss of muscle mass can prompt a testosterone blood test. A primary care physician may refer a patient to a specialist, such as a urologist or endocrinologist, for testing and treatment. Alternatively, your doctor may prescribe a medicine (clomiphene citrate) that increases hormones produced by the pituitary gland, which stimulate testosterone production in the testicles.

Testosterone takes action when it joins onto its receptor in any particular cell in our body. But how well it does steroids show up on a urine test for probation this to bring about the functions mentioned above differs from person to person, which is influenced by genetics. So what might be considered a low level for one person may actually be OK if they have a more sensitive receptor capable of carrying out testosterone’s actions at lower concentrations. In fact, when we look at some diseases in men that are thought to result from low testosterone, not everyone below the normal range develops the disease.

Normal testosterone levels support sexual development, libido, healthy muscles and bones, and mood. Guidelines vary, as do factors like age or medication use, but a normal level for an adult male typically ranges between 450 and 600 nanograms (ng) per deciliter (dL). Levels at 300 ng/dL or less are considered low and above 1,000 ng/dL is high. Treating normal aging with testosterone therapy is not advisable.

It remains bound to a protein called, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). The small amount of testosterone that’s unbound and therefore active, is called freely circulating testosterone (free T). Boys 12 or 13 years old should have a testosterone level of 7 to 800 ng/dL.