12 Scary Signs That You Have Low Testosterone & Under Performing Testicles
Signs of Low Testosterone in Men
Low testosterone and age
Men in their 40s or 50s may come to mind when you think of testosterone levels dropping. But guys younger than 30 can also have low testosterone, or “low T.”
The Mayo Clinic says that a man’s testosterone levels usually rise when he is a teenager or early adult. Starting around age 30, those amounts usually drop by about 1% every year. But in some cases, your testosterone levels may start to drop at a younger age.
The medical term for low T is when your body doesn’t make enough of the hormone testosterone. The “male hormone” testosterone is made by both men and women, but men make a lot more of it. Many things that are male-specific depend on it, like the development of sperm and muscles, the thickening of the voice, and hair growth. Low T can lead to a number of problems, such as impotence, infertility, muscle loss, fat gain, and baldness.
Make an appointment with your doctor if you think you might be having low T. Some people get it because they have bad habits that they can change. In other situations, it’s caused by a health problem that needs to be treated. Your doctor will be able to help you figure out what’s causing your problems and how to deal with them.
What are the symptoms of low T?
1. Low sex drive
As a man ages, his desire (sex drive) changes a lot. As guys get older, their sex drive may go down for some. But someone with low T is more likely to have a much bigger drop in their desire to have sex.
2. Difficulty with erection
Not only does testosterone make a guy want to have sex, it also helps him get and keep an erection. Testosterone doesn’t get an erection by itself, but it does make receptors in the brain make nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is a molecule that helps start the chemical processes that are needed for an erection to happen. There are times when a man may have trouble getting or keeping an erection before or during sex if his testosterone levels are too low.
But testosterone isn’t the only thing that helps men get and keep an erection. There isn’t enough evidence to say for sure what part testosterone replacement plays in treating erectile dysfunction.
A review of studies that looked at the effects of testosterone on men who had trouble getting or keeping an erection found that almost half of them did not get better with testosterone treatment. Having trouble getting or keeping an erection is often caused by other health issues. Some of these are:
diabetes
thyroid problems
high blood pressure
high cholesterol
smoking
alcohol use
depression
stress
anxiety
3. Low semen volume
It is thought that testosterone helps make semen, which is the milky fluid that helps sperm move. The amount of semen that men with low T often notice is less when they ejaculate.
4. Hair loss
Testosterone affects many body processes, such as the growth of hair. For many guys, going bald is a normal part of getting older. Balding can be passed down through families, but guys with low T may also lose hair on their bodies and faces.
5. Fatigue
Men with low T have said they feel very tired and have less energy. If you’re always tired even though you’re getting enough sleep or if it’s harder for you to get inspired to work out, you might have low T.
6. Loss of muscle mass
Because testosterone helps build muscle, men who don’t have enough T might notice that their muscle mass goes down. Looks atTestosterone has been shown to change muscle mass, but not always power or function.
7. Increased body fat
Men with low T may also gain weight and body fat. In particular, they sometimes get gynecomastia, which means their breast flesh gets bigger. This effect is thought to happen because guys don’t have the right amount of testosterone and estrogen.
8. Decreased bone mass
Women are more likely than men to have osteoporosis, which means their bones are getting thinner. Men with low T, on the other hand, can lose bone mass. Testosterone helps bones grow and stay strong. So guys with low T, especially older men, have less bone mass and are more likely to break a bone.
9. Mood changes
Mood swings can happen to men with low T. Testosterone affects a lot of body functions, so it can also change your mood and mental abilities. It has been found that guys with low T are more likely to be depressed, irritable, or unable to concentrate.
10. Affected memory
As people get older, their cognitive abilities, especially their memory, and testosterone levels both drop. As a result, doctors think that lower testosterone levels may play a part in memory loss.
Some smaller studies have linked men with low testosterone levels taking supplements with better memory, according to a study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But the memory of the 493 men with low testosterone levels who took testosterone or a fake drug did not get better, according to the study’s authors.
11. Smaller testicle size
Testicles that are smaller than usual can be caused by low amounts of testosterone in the body. Because the body needs testosterone to build the penis and testicles, low amounts could make the penis or testicles smaller than they would be in a man with normal testosterone levels.
But smaller-than-normal testicles can be caused by things other than low testosterone, so this isn’t always just a sign of low testosterone.
12. Low blood counts
A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association says that doctors have found a link between low testosterone and a higher chance of anemia.
When doctors gave testosterone gel to men who were anemic and had low testosterone, their blood counts went up compared to men who were given a placebo gel. Anemia can make it hard to focus, make you feel dizzy, give you leg cramps, make it hard to sleep, and speed up your heart rate too quickly.
What causes low T in young men?
Men under 30 are less likely to have low T, but it can still happen. Some things that contribute are:
high cholesterol levels
high blood pressure
being overweight or obese
drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
using illegal drugs
using anabolic steroids
taking certain prescription medications such as steroids and opiates, especially in excess
In some cases, low T may be linked to other health problems, like
hypothalamic or pituitary disease or tumors
injuries, tumors, or other conditions affecting your testicles including inflammation related to childhood mumps
inherited diseases, such as Kallman’s syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, or Down syndrome
diabetes, liver disease, or AIDS
cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy
What should you do if you think you have low T?
Make an appointment with your doctor if you think you might have low T. A simple blood test can tell them how much testosterone you have.
If your doctor finds that your testosterone level is lower than usual, they may do more tests or an exam to find out why. The way you are treated will depend on what is wrong with you and your medical background. Your doctor may tell you to make changes to your habits or start testosterone replacement therapy.
Before taking any new drugs, including testosterone replacement treatment and supplements, you should always talk to your doctor. A study in PLOS One says that testosterone therapy may make you more likely to have a heart attack, especially if you already have heart problems. Your doctor can help you figure out what the pros and cons of each treatment choice might be.
