Testosterone levels naturally decline from the age of 30 and its effect goes way beyond the bedroom. There are many symptoms you need to be looking out for which could indicate that your levels are too low.
If you have one or several of these symptoms, it is worth checking your T levels. Of course, these symptoms overlap with many other health conditions and can’t be considered proof of low testosterone without further testing. If you suspect your testosterone is lower than it should be, the best thing you can do is take a trip to the doctor and get your levels checked with a simple blood test.
And if you do discover that your testosterone levels are in fact lower than they should be, the good news is that testosterone therapy can significantly improve symptoms. That’s why it’s important to figure out whether testosterone levels are to blame – because if they are, why suffer needlessly?
No sex drive
Perhaps the most common and recognized symptom is the disappearance of your sex drive. This is the first symptom many men will notice, and it could also result in fewer erections or infertility. Erectile dysfunction isn’t necessarily affected by testosterone, but if it is, testosterone replacement therapy is the way to go. Note though that low sex drive is a gradual process. If it happens suddenly, there could be another reason and your doctor will be able to point you in the right direction.
Decreased strength
Without testosterone, your body breaks down muscle instead of producing muscle. Men will notice that they’re struggling more in the gym with weights and that, frustratingly, they are not managing to build their muscles up anymore.
Fatigue
Being more tired than normal, feeling depleted, and unmotivated is also very common when testosterone is down.
Sleep disturbances
Despite feeling more tired, sleep can be hard to come by. Some men suffer from insomnia and sleep apnea. There seems to be a strong link between low testosterone and lack of sleep, though scientists aren’t 100% sure why.
Putting on belly weight
With low muscle mass comes increased body fat and many men see this happening around the waist in particular.
Shrinking
You may notice that your penis and testicles shrink a bit, and appear softer instead of firm.
Weaker bones
Bones are living tissues and they become weaker when T levels are lower.
Emotional changes
Unfortunately it’s not just your body that suffers, but your emotional state too. Men with low T often suffer from depression or anxiety. Having low libido and suffering from other physical ailments no doubt contribute towards this.
Memory loss
Memory and ability to think decline as testosterone levels decline. A study was done which showed that men who experienced a decrease in testosterone over five years didn’t perform as well on tests of memory and brain function.
Risk of disease
Having a testosterone deficiency can put men at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Several studies have been done on this; some have showed that lower T is linked with heart problems while other studies have said that testosterone levels being too high puts men more at risk of heart attack or stroke – though this is mainly true in men with existing heart problems or older men. It is important for every man undergoing testosterone therapy to constantly monitor levels to ensure they’re not too high, therefore avoiding this risk while combating the problematic symptoms and risks that are associated with low levels of testosterone.
A lot of these symptoms could be the result of another health condition or simply the natural result of aging. Your doctor will be able to figure out what’s causing these symptoms and if there is even a problem at all.