Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C) is an Attending Physician with the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Associate Director of Clinical Research, Recruitment and Phenotyping with the Center for Androgen Related Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Symptoms of low testosterone in males depends upon when the low levels occur. In men, low testosterone may lead to:
infertility,
decrease sexual function and desire,
erectile dysfunction (ED),
hair loss,
decreased muscle mass, and
osteoporosis.
Symptoms of low testosterone levels in women include:
hot flashes,
irritability,
loss of sexual desire,
sleep disturbances,
loss of muscle mass, and
decreased bone density (osteoporosis).
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is a steroid hormone which is made in the testes in males and in
the ovaries in women (a minimal amount is also made in the adrenal glands).
Testosterone has two major functions in the human body.
Testosterone is needed
to form and maintain the male sex organs and promote secondary male sex
characteristics (in both men and women) such as voice deepening and hair growth
patterns. This function is related to its androgenic properties.
Testosterone is the facilitation of muscle growth as well as bone
development and maintenance. This is a result of its anabolic properties.
Testosterone production is regulated by hormones released from the brain. The
hypothalamus and pituitary gland located in the brain produce hormonal signals
that ultimately result in the production of testosterone. The hypothalamus is
located just above the brain stem, and among its many functions, it produces
gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GRH). GRH then travels a short distance to the
pituitary gland, which is located in the base of the brain, and stimulates this
gland to release FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing
hormone). These hormones travel through the bloodstream to activate the sex
organs in both men and women. Subsequently, these hormones have a role in
regulating testosterone levels in the bloodstream.
The majority of testosterone circulates in the blood bound to a carrier
protein (many hormones that are produced in one area and affect another area
have a carrier protein that helps their travel through the bloodstream). In this
case the carrier protein is called "sex hormone binding globulin," or SHBG. When
testosterone is being carried by SHBG, it is considered "bound". Bound
testosterone does not play an active role in the body; only the unbound or "free" testosterone is able to enter the different cells of the body and exert
its androgenic and anabolic effects. Thus, anything that affects the function or
the amount of SHBG can also affect the total circulating amount of active
testosterone.
What is low testosterone?
The human body functions within a relatively narrow range of normal. When
chemicals such as hormones fall outside those normal levels, there can be
consequences that affect the body at a cellular, organ, or systemic (body-wide)
level.
Blood tests used to measure testosterone are usually performed in the morning.
Testosterone sampling is difficult since the levels normally tend to bounce
around a fair bit during the course of the day. The normal value for total
testosterone in males is 270-1070 ng/dl. However, this depends to some extent
on the individual laboratory being used, and the range can vary as a result. In
women, there is debate about the accuracy of testosterone measurements, because
the circulating values are so much lower than in males and are harder to
accurately measure.
With advancing age, in both men and women, the amount of testosterone the
body produces gradually falls. Free testosterone levels can be measured and
normal levels depend upon an individual's age. Interestingly,
menopause
itself does not seem to play a role in a reduction of testosterone levels in
women beyond that of advancing age.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria. Symptoms include weakness, fever, weight loss, night sweats and in worse cases, chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood. A person with an active infection (a positive TB skin test, abnormal chest x-ray and TB bacteria in their sputum) requires treatment with izoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinaide.
Sarcoidosis, a disease resulting from chronic inflammation, causes small lumps (granulomas) to develop in a great range of body tissues and can appear in almost any body organ. However, sarcoidosis most often starts in the lungs or lymph nodes.
There are many causes of scalp hair loss. This featured article covers the common ones such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata, trichotillomania, and tinea capitis), telogen effluvium, and androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness, female-pattern baldness).
Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is a common
problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustain an
erection sufficient for sexual intercourse or the inability to achieve
ejaculation, or both. Impotence can have emotional causes but most often it is
due to a physical problem.
Learn about osteoporosis, a condition characterized by the loss of bone density, which leads to an increased risk of bone fracture. Unless one experiences a fracture, a person may have osteoporosis for decades without knowing it. Treatment for osteoporosis may involve medications that stop bone loss and increase bone strength and bone formation, as well as quitting smoking, regular exercise, cutting back on alcohol intake, and eating a calcium- and vitamin D-rich balanced diet.
Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been
considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.
That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and
build.
Mumps is an acute viral illness caused by the mumps virus. Symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite; followed by swelling of the salivary glands.
Infertility is the diminished ability to conceive a child. The primary cause of infertility in men is a sperm disorder. In women, the primary cause of infertility is an ovulation disorder. Most forms of infertility can be treated. Conventional infertility therapies include drugs or surgery.
Gynecomastia, an enlargement of the gland tissue in the male breast is the caused by an imbalance of hormones. Certain medical conditions may also lead to gynecomastia such as cirrhosis, malnutrition, disorders of the male sex organs, kidney failure, thyroid disorders, and medications. Gynecomastia is generally treated with medication, and if necessary surgery.
Prolactinoma is an adenoma (benign tumor) of the pituitary gland. Causes of many prolactinomas are unknown. Symptoms in women include changes in menstruation and infertility, decreased libido, or painful intercourse due to vaginal dryness. The most common symptom in men is impotence (erectile dysfunction). Treatment of prolactinomas are medication or surgery.
Klinefelter syndrome, also referred to as XXY condition, is a genetic disease. Klinefelter syndrome affects mostly males. Symptoms include decreased testosterone levels, development of breasts, wider hips, and infertility. Some men with Klinefelter syndrome have no symptoms. Treatment includes educational, therapeutic, and medical therapy.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances that are related to testosterone and promote skeletal muscle growth and the development of male sexual characteristics in both men and women. In the 1930s, it was discovered that anabolic steroids could promote skeletal muscle growth in lab animals, which lead to anabolic steroid abuse by bodybuilders and weight lifters.
Premature ovarian failure (POS) is the cessation of normal functioning of the ovaries in women under the age of 40. Premature ovarian failure may be caused by follicle depletion or dysfunction. The most common symptom of premature ovarian failure are irregular periods. There is no "treatment" that will restore the ovarian function, but there are treatments that my relieve symptoms.
Men's health is an important component to a happy lifestyle and healthy relationships. Eating healthy, exercise, managing stress, and knowing when to have medical tests for a particular age is key to disease prevention in men.
Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the inability to achieve or sustain an erection for satisfactory sexual activity. Erectile dysfunction is different from other conditions that interfere with male sexual intercourse, such as lack of sexual desire (decreased libido) and problems with ejaculation and orgasm (ejaculatory dysfunction). This article focuses on the evaluation and treatment of erectile dysfunction.
How common is erectile dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence) varies in severity; some men have a total inability to achieve an erection, others have an inconsistent ability to achieve an erection, and still others can sustain only brief erections. The variations in severity of erectile dysfunction make estimating its frequency difficult. Many men also are reluctant to discuss erectile dysfunction with their doctors due to embarrassment, and thus the condition is unde...
Mens Health RSS
Healthy Living Tips
This site complies with the