Testosterone

Most of the people know that women had menopause when they reached certain age.  How about men?  Do you know that men also had menopause?  Yes.  Men had menopause and the term for male menopause is andropause.  Andropause is a condition in men where their hormone, called Testosterone, decline with age.

Testosterone is a hormone where it has been associated with manliness in male.  This hormone is produced mainly in testicles and is responsible for various bodily functions namely:-
• Sharpening brain function
• Maintaining fat distribution and bone density
• Improving muscle mass and strength
• Increasing energy
• Boosting sexual drive and sperm production

Testosterone is highest during young age and adulthood but as one aged, it gradually decreases.  However, there are some cases where it is due to hypogonadism, a condition whereby the body is unable to produce sufficient amount of testosterone due to pituitary gland or testicles complications.

Testosterone deficiency will lead to some changes to your male body functions in several ways.  A decrease in the hormone will affect men sexual function as there is a decline in libido, erection frequency and fertility.  Men will experience mood change, low esteem and memory difficulties.

Men with low testosterone may suffer from sleep disturbance like insomnia.  Their muscle mass will also decrease and reduced bone density.  Men will also suffer from hair loss because of low level of hormone in their body.

Although it had not been proven to be a direct factor, a low testosterone will lead to health  conditions like diabetes and heart disease.  Low testosterone will cause blood sugar level to evaluate as the body tissues absorb more sugar from the blood, hence resulting in diabetes.  A low testosterone will also cause fat to accumulate in the arteries to form plaque.  When plaque hardens, it will disrupt the blood flow in the body which will eventually lead to heart attack.

A number of tests will be performed to confirm on the level of men’s male hormone.  A blood test is the most common one to check the level of the hormone.  Blood pressure, heart rate and other tests involving checking of bone density, hormonal glands will also be conducted.

Your doctor may suggest testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) when there is symptom in testosterone deficiency.  TRT comes in several forms like patches in form of mouth and transdermal.  For mouth patches, it can be stuck onto the upper gums to release testosterone into the blood through oral tissues.  As for transdermal patch, men can wear it once a day on upper body or arm.



There are testosterone gels that directly absorb through skin and they are available in pumps or packets.  Testosterone shots can also be administered directly into muscle or implanted as pellets into tissue.  It will then slowly enter into your bloodstream.

There are potential risks on TRT which can include sleep disorders, acne, limited sperm production and abnormal prostate growth.  Hence, men would need to check with doctor if they would want to proceed with TRT.

Apart from taking the medical approaches, lifestyle changes are important.  Taking a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, limiting your daily alcohol intake to 1 – 2 glass and having sufficient rest help.  These activities may not dramatically increase the testosterone level but definitely, it will help to relieve your symptoms and ensure better wellbeing.