The Impact Of Testosterone On Men’s Quality Of Life
Testosterone is a crucial hormone that affects physical and emotional health. It helps with muscle growth, fat distribution, bone strength, sperm production, and red blood cell production.
Certain factors can cause a testosterone imbalance, making its levels too low or too high. If your testosterone is too low, your body can't perform its usual functions properly, which can hurt your mental, emotional, and physical health. Some men with low testosterone get Testosterone Replacement Therapy to help with their symptoms.
In this article, we explain how testosterone affects a man's quality of life and share ways to boost your testosterone levels for better health.
Do You Have the Features of Testosterone Deficiency?
The Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) questionnaire is an easy way to answer questions about your sexual health, which can help to see if you need your testosterone level checked.
It is an internationally accredited assessment tool which is often used by doctors when making the assessment and diagnosis of Testosterone Deficiency. A positive result does not necessarily mean that you have a low testosterone level or require treatment, but can be a helpful guide when discussing your symptoms with your doctor.
ADAM Questionnaire
Please answer the questions below.
Why Is Testosterone Important For Men?
Testosterone is the primary sex hormone made by the testes and adrenal cortex in men. It helps develop secondary sex characteristics that turn boys into men. Women also produce testosterone, but their levels are about 15 times lower than in men.
Besides making sperm, testosterone has many vital roles in men, including:
- Building and strengthening bones
- Increasing muscle mass and strength
- Boosting sex drive and helping with erections
- Metabolising and distributing fat in the body
- Growing facial and body hair
- Producing red blood cells
To do these things, you need enough testosterone. When testosterone levels drop, your body can't perform these roles properly, affecting your quality of life. Low testosterone impacts not just physical health but also mental performance.
What Happens When A Man’s Testosterone Is Low?
Recently, researchers have been studying how low testosterone affects a man's quality of life. Men experience a gradual decrease in testosterone as they age, unlike the rapid drop in estrogen that women face during menopause.
The decline in testosterone levels associated with ageing occurs due to reduced signalling from the brain to the testes for its production.
However, testosterone levels can drop at any age due to medical issues like HIV, type 2 diabetes, brain cancer, or other reasons. Since testosterone affects behaviour, mood, and self-esteem, its deficiency can lower a man's quality of life in many ways.
Low testosterone can impact a man's life in the following ways.
Decrease In Muscle Growth
Testosterone is crucial for building and maintaining muscle mass. Without enough testosterone, you can lose muscle mass and volume. However, studies show low testosterone doesn't affect muscle strength and function. Poor muscle growth can make you look thinner and lower your confidence.
Reduced Energy And Physical Stamina
Men with low testosterone often feel tired even after enough sleep or rest. Their energy levels drop, making them less motivated to work, go to the gym, or do daily activities. This can reduce productivity and affect both family and work life.
Impaired Sexual Performance
Since testosterone is a crucial male sex hormone, low levels can reduce sex drive and make it harder to get or keep an erection. You might also notice a decrease in semen volume, which can negatively impact your relationship with your partner.
Lack Of Concentration, Focus, And Decline In Memory
Low testosterone can affect memory and make it hard to focus or concentrate. While mental decline is a part of ageing, low testosterone also contributes. Some studies suggest that testosterone treatment can help older men improve their cognitive abilities.
Lower Bone Volume
Testosterone helps with bone growth, so low levels can reduce bone volume. This makes men more prone to bone fractures, especially as they age.
Poor Sleep Quality
Low testosterone can lead to shorter, shallower sleep. Lower testosterone levels can increase cortisol (a stress hormone), which keeps you awake and leads to tiredness the next day. Many men with low testosterone also experience sleep apnea, a condition that interrupts breathing during sleep.
Accumulation Of Body Fat
Testosterone helps metabolise fat, so low levels can cause fat to accumulate in tissues, leading to weight gain. The likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases and experiencing heart attacks rises, while self-esteem and activity levels may decrease.
Sadness And Depression
Testosterone also affects emotional health. Low levels can make you sad, avoid social gatherings, and be less cheerful. Studies show that men with low testosterone are at a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Mood Changes
Men with low testosterone can become irritable and moody, finding social events less enjoyable because of their low mood.
Lack Of Self-Confidence
All the effects of low testosterone, like losing muscle mass, having low energy and poor sexual performance, struggling to concentrate, and gaining weight, can lower self-confidence. Low testosterone also contributes to hair loss, affecting your appearance and reducing confidence.
Testing Testosterone Levels
If you think you have symptoms of low testosterone, you should get your testosterone levels checked.
You can check testosterone levels with a simple blood test. Your doctor will take blood from your arm and send it to a lab. There are two types of testosterone in your blood:
Free testosterone: This testosterone is not bound to proteins and moves freely in the bloodstream.
Bound testosterone is attached to proteins like sex hormone-binding globulin or albumin. About 99% of your total testosterone is bound testosterone.
Doctors examine total and free testosterone levels when reviewing blood tests. The sum of free and bound testosterone is known as total testosterone.
Testosterone levels vary throughout the day in healthy men. They are highest in the morning and lowest around 8 in the evening, so the test is done in the morning.
Normal testosterone levels in a healthy man range from 300 to 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). If your test shows levels below 300 ng/dL, you might have low testosterone. Usually, two to three tests are done on different days to confirm this.
Improving Life Quality With Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is an excellent way to restore your testosterone levels and feel better. It involves getting testosterone through injections, pills, gels, creams, or patches. Your physician will determine the appropriate dosage according to the severity of your low testosterone levels.
Many men notice improved bone strength, muscle mass, sex drive, sleep quality, and energy levels after TRT. Talk to your doctor about this treatment to see how it can improve your quality of life.
Conclusion
Testosterone is essential for a man's physical and mental health. Low testosterone can lower self-confidence, energy, muscle mass, bone strength, and cognitive abilities.
You should get treatment to keep your testosterone levels healthy. Testosterone replacement therapy is an excellent option to boost testosterone levels effectively. It can counteract the consequences of low testosterone and enhance your mental, emotional, and physical health. If you want to increase your testosterone levels and are considering testosterone replacement therapy, we can help. Contact us for expert guidance and personalised treatment options.
Comments