5 Signs You Could be Suffering From a Testosterone Deficiency

Hormones are the chemical messengers your body uses to control operations and systems throughout your body. More than 50 different hormones travel through your bloodstream in search of compatible receptors with which they deliver their signals. 

Getting older is often a reason for decreased hormone production in both biological genders. Some men may suffer significant drops in the amounts of testosterone (T) in their bodies, the primary male sex hormone. 

At New Spirit Health, we can measure your T levels and offer testosterone replacement therapy if you’re suffering from a deficiency. Low testosterone can have wide-reaching consequences for some men. Here’s what you need to know. 

The effects of falling testosterone

Hormone fluctuations throughout your life are normal. Women experience changes through the month before menopause while undergoing a massive drop in estrogen afterward.

Men experience a similar event with falling levels of testosterone, but for most, there aren’t the dramatic changes that women face. However, that doesn’t mean nothing happens. 

Medically known as male hypogonadism, low T has a wide range of potential symptoms. These include: 

• Reduced libido
• Erectile dysfunction
• Male infertility (low sperm count)
• Smaller testicles
• Body fat gains
• Loss of muscle mass
• Lower endurance
• Mood changes
• Changes in cognitive functions like focus and memory
• Loss of hair in the armpits and genitals
• Hot flashes
• Enlarged breasts (gynecomastia)

Like female menopause, men with low T tend to have their own unique mix of symptoms. In most cases, symptoms are mild, often attributed to simply getting older. 

In other cases, some men experience a series of symptoms that might be described as male menopause. This happens when a man experiences a true testosterone deficiency. 

Let’s look at five symptoms that may be more obvious when your testosterone level reaches the point considered by the American Urology Association to be the threshold of low T: 300 nanograms per deciliter. 

Five telltale signs of testosterone deficiency

While some of these signs are listed in the symptoms above, you can expect them to be more prominent or intense if you have extremely low T levels. 

1. Low energy levels

This can take the form of fatigue with no reason to explain it, or you may become more tired from levels of activity you took for granted previously. 

2. Sexual changes

You notice lower sex drive overall, erections become difficult to form and/or maintain, and you may produce less semen than you have in the past.

3. Accelerated hair loss

 You may start losing hair faster and from places other than your head. The most common other locations include armpits, chest, face, and groin. 

4. Changes to mood and memory

You can become more frequently irritable and more prone to depression. Mental acuity also changes, with memory lapses more common as your T level falls. 

5. Overall physical health changes

Lost muscle mass, decreased bone density, increase in the size of fat deposits, and low red blood cell counts are common with low T readings. Testosterone can also contribute to other health issues, even when it’s not the primary cause. 

Related conditions include: 

• High blood pressure
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Kidney disease

We can treat your low T condition with hormone replacement therapy to give you the best chance at seeing your symptoms recede. Make an appointment by phone or online with New Spirit Health in Mesa, Arizona, today.