What to do if your testosterone is low

Testosterone is primarily a hormone secreted by the body. It is mainly for improving bone density and strength. As well as improving the body, there are many reasons for sexual dysfunction, mainly in men, one of which is caused by low testosterone. The sex hormone testosterone is also secreted by the testicles, and is directly involved in the generation of sexual desire and the maintenance of sexual ability. Testosterone can cause some sexual dysfunction.

There are many reasons that can cause low testosterone. One is the disorder of testosterone itself. Because of the loss of its original function due to traumatic diseases, testosterone will decrease. The second is the secondary disorder caused by hypothalamic pituitary lesions, which will cause a decrease. Therefore, further tests are needed to make a clear diagnosis.

There are two common causes of low testosterone. One is a disorder of the testicles themselves. For example, if the testicles lose their function due to trauma, disease, surgery, etc., the testosterone level in the body will be extremely low. The other is a secondary disorder caused by lesions of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. To determine which of the causes is the case, it is also necessary to check the two gland-stimulating hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), secreted by the pituitary gland. If both FSH and LH are low, it indicates that low testosterone is caused by pituitary disease, and further examination should be done to check for organic lesions or damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. Patients with this condition can be treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone or human chorionic gonadotropin, which may be effective. If both FSH and LH are elevated, it indicates that it is caused by testicular disease itself. In this case, testosterone is the only treatment option.

In addition, the pituitary gland also secretes prolactin (PRL). In the past, it was believed that prolactin only promoted breast development and milk secretion in women. It has been shown that men also have prolactin in their bodies, and its increase can inhibit the production of testosterone, leading to reduced sexual function and impotence. If this happens, further examination should be conducted to determine whether there is a pituitary adenoma in the body.

In general, when sex hormones need to be tested, testosterone can be checked first. If the testosterone level is normal, it means that the testicles are functioning normally and no further tests are necessary. If testosterone is low, you can check FSH, LH and PRL. However, in order to avoid the trouble of multiple blood draws and spending too much time, some patients sometimes do several tests in sequence.

The above are the common causes of low testosterone. On the one hand, there are disorders of the testicles themselves, such as low testosterone levels due to trauma or surgery. On the other hand, there are some secondary disorders caused by lesions in the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. If you find such diseases in your daily life, you must go to the hospital for treatment in time and do not abuse drugs.