Men's Health > Testosterone > Male Hypogonadism

Male Hypogonadism

Dealing with a testosterone deficiency (also known as male hypogonadism) can be hard to admit for many men. To some, it feels as if their very manhood is diminishing before their very eyes. But a testosterone deficiency doesn’t have to have any shame attached to it.

The stigma that once was associated with a testosterone deficiency – causing loss of libido, loss of hair, and erectile dysfunction is being erased by an avalanche of medical research that exposes testosterone deficiency for what it is – a common occurrence in the life of any man.

Hypogonadism Treatment

For those who have received treatment for male hypogonadism, life has been restored to the pleasurable status it once was. Testosterone deficiency treatments range from adding natural supplements to your diet to having more serious testosterone prescriptions provided by your doctor.

When a man has a testosterone deficiency, he can get tested to see if his levels fall within the “normal” limits. However, it’s important to note that testosterone levels fluctuate and what may be a testosterone deficiency for one person could be the norm for another.

Women can also suffer symptoms associated from a testosterone deficiency. When a woman’s levels fall low, she can endure a loss of sexual drive, experience weakness, or begin to lose her hair – a condition of testosterone deficiency that is generally associated with aging men.

What role does male hormone replacement therapy play in the lives of men and women suffering from hypogonadism? Researchers are constantly trying to improve their efforts to maximize the results of the treatment and minimize the side effects that often plague testosterone replacement therapy treatment.

Hypogonadism Symptoms

Testosterone deficiency has also been linked to cognitive impairment, and scientists are trying to find out if hormone replacement therapy could help those afflicted with diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Although these conditions are heartbreaking and difficult to deal with, there is no direct link between a person’s hypogonadism and their impending mortality.

Testosterone is needed from the very time a baby boy is growing in his mother’s womb and every day thereafter. When a man suffers from a testosterone deficiency, it can take away his typical masculine characteristics and little by little chip away at the quality of his life. More studies are needed on male hormone replacement therapy for a testosterone deficiency, since there was such a backlash against female hormone replacement therapy. But if the benefits of taking additional testosterone keep stacking up, researchers will find a way to make the treatment available to all who need it.

Drew Voight