Testosterone is a male hormone produced by the testicles. It stimulates sperm production and also men’s sex drive. It also helps in building of muscles and also bone mass. Testosterone production typically decrease as one gets old. Normal range of testosterone is 300 to 1000 ng/dl. A man is considered to have low testosterone levels if it goes below 300 ng/dl. Below are some signs of low testosterone levels in men:
1) Low sex drive
Testosterone plays a major role in libido in men. Men with low T levels are likely to experience a drop in their desire to have sex. It’s good to also note that sex drive and T levels in men drops as they get old.
2) Hair loss
Testosterone also plays a major role in hair production. Although balding may occur naturally as men grow old and also if inherited, men with low T levels may experience a loss in body and facial hair as well.
3) Increased body fat
Men with low T levels may experience overall increase in body fat which may lead to enlarged breast tissues. This is believed to occur due to imbalance between testosterone and estrogen levels in men’s body.
4) Mood changes
Testosterone influences many physical processes in the body, mens moods and mental capacity. Men with low T levels are likely to experience mood changes. They may experience depression and lack of focus.
5) Low semen volume
Testosterone plays a role in production of the milky fluid that aids in mobility of sperm called semen. Men with low T levels are likely to experience low semen count during ejaculation.
6) Fatigue
Men with low T levels are likely to experience extreme fatigue and also a decrease in energy levels.
7) Difficulty with erection
Testosterone aids in achieving and maintaining erection. Although testosterone alone is not enough to reach erection, there are some other health problems that may cause difficulty in erecting eg anxiety, depression, stress, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and use of alcohol. What testosterone does is that it stimulates receptors in the brain to produce nitric oxide which trigger some chemical reactions necessary for erection to occur.
8) Low muscle mass
Studies have shown that testosterone affects muscle mass but not necessarily strength. Men with low T are likely to experience decrease in muscle mass.
9) Decreased bone mass
This condition is called osteoporosis which is the thinning of bone mass. It is mostly experienced in women. Men with low T levels are also likely to experience this problem. These men are likely to experience bone fractures.
10) Small testicles
Body requires testosterone to develop testicles and penis. Thus men with low T levels are likely to experience smaller than average testicles and penis size. It’s also good to make it clear that small penis and testicles have many cause so it’s not always low T levels.
By Earnest Tsen
