What Is Testosterone?

What is Testosterone and Hypogonadism Low T?: Ross Medical Group: Family Medicine

You’ll be shown which body parts you can use for the injection site, as they need to be rotated. This is a skin patch worn on the arm, upper body, or another place where you’re not likely to sweat or apply pressure (like lie on it). You’ll need to choose a different spot to apply it each time. Until recently, men who needed testosterone required injections of the hormone every one to three weeks. All these products require a doctor’s prescription and, except for injections, all are expensive. These distinctions, of course, are far from absolute, and it is far from clear if they depend on biology or culture, nature or nurture.

This article addresses common questions about this crucial hormone. Your body needs the proper amount of testosterone to both develop male sexual characteristics, but it also needs to maintain a certain level for you to remain fertile. Because testosterone aids in the production of mature sperm, if your levels dip too low, you may become infertile. Monitoring your testosterone levels is one important step towards achieving your greatest possible longevity and well-being. A comprehensive health screening, which includes measuring testosterone levels along with many other biomarkers, will give you a fuller picture of your current health risks and opportunities for optimisation.

Testosterone is an androgen steroid hormone and the principal male sex hormone, but it is also produced in females. In men, testosterone plays a key role in development of the male reproductive system and promotes secondary sexual characteristics such as facial and chest hair and upper body muscular build. In women, testosterone is secreted in the ovaries and adrenal glands and helps create estrogen and may help regulate how eggs develop in the ovaries. But that doesn’t mean you should simply sit back and wait for science to tell you what to do. Keep your mind young and supple with mental activity, physical exercise, good nutrition, and regular medical care. And you can also get many of the purported benefits of testosterone for your body without any of its risks. Along with a healthy amount of dietary protein, resistance exercises and other forms of strength training will help preserve muscle mass and strength, bone density, and musculoskeletal function.

It may be difficult for men to detect this themselves, but their sleeping partner can often tell. A sleep study (polysomnography) may be needed to make the diagnosis. Oral testosterone has been around since the 1980s but was not popular because it can cause problems for the liver. But there are now some new pills (Jatenzo, Tlando, and Kyzatrex) that bypass the liver and get testosterone into the blood directly, in the same way that skin patches, gels, and other treatments do. The American Urology Association considers a low testosterone vs trenbolone level in men to be anything below 300 ng/dL.

Some studies have found a link between TRT and higher blood pressure, while others have seen no effect or a link to lowered blood pressure. The effect on your blood pressure may depend on your own health, whether you have any heart disease or high blood pressure, and how much testosterone you take. You may feel more energetic, less depressed, and have a higher sex drive. You might also notice you gain more muscle mass and lose body fat.

It’s important that you only undertake testosterone replacement therapy under proper medical care. Alternative testosterone supplements, such as prohormones or herbal supplements, have not been proven to be as effective and, in some cases, have been proven harmful to your body. A normal testosterone level in an adolescent male, 19 years of age, is between 300 and 1,200 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter, the preferred measurement of testosterone). A 40-year-old male can expect testosterone levels anywhere between 252 and 916 ng/dL, while a 50-year-old’s range can be between 215 and 878 ng/dL.

In childhood, testosterone levels are low, with production increasing rapidly at puberty. Secreted from the cells of Leydig in the testes, it controls the development of secondary sexual characteristics. Your testosterone levels are at their highest point when you wake up in the morning and decrease throughout the day. The pituitary gland and hypothalamus (located in your brain) regulate when testosterone is released. A healthy testosterone range for an adult woman is between 20 and 60 ng/dL. 3 To properly diagnose a testosterone imbalance, a doctor will need to test blood testosterone levels, observe any symptoms that are present, and perform a clinical exam.

It’s critical to be open and honest about your health history and medications. Some drugs, like bupropion (an antidepressant), insulin (for diabetes), and warfarin (a blood thinner used to reduce the formation of blood clots) can interact with oral testosterone. Your health information will help your doctor determine whether the oral route is best for you or if any adjustments need to be made. If you are concerned about low-T symptoms, or if you’ve tried therapies that didn’t work, talk with your primary care doctor or urologist. Feeling better starts with a conversation about your needs, goals, and lifestyle.

While the specifics are uncertain, it’s possible that androgens also play an important role in normal brain function (including mood, sex drive and cognitive function). Please note that this content is for informational use and is not a substitute for medical advice. This content cannot diagnose or provide information about treatment. Consult with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns or need specific medical advice relating to any symptoms, conditions, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not delay seeking medical advice, and do not disregard professional medical advice based on this content.