What Are Signs of Low Testosterone in Males?
We tend to associate testosterone with big muscles and aggression, but all of us have testosterone in our bodies as its fundamental in our childhood development and maintaining healthy bodies as adults. So having too much or too little testosterone can be detrimental to our health.
Women naturally have much lower testosterone levels than men, so there can be some stigma attached to men with low testosterone symptoms. But testosterone levels naturally decrease in men as they age and as a result of lifestyle factors, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of if you develop testosterone deficiency or simply notice your testosterone drop as you get older.
However, having insufficient testosterone can be problematic, so it’s important to be aware of your hormone levels, especially if something changes, and to be aware of the symptoms of low testosterone so you can get medical help when you need it.
Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Men
There are several indicators that a man has low testosterone levels, so if you are experiencing any of the following, you should take a testosterone test to find the cause of your symptoms:
- Low sex drive (libido)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Lower sperm count
- Tiredness
- Depression
- Reduced muscle mass
After 30, men’s testosterone levels naturally decrease, so some loss of sexual desire or feeling tired is perfectly natural. However, having little to no sex drive as well as feelings of fatigue or depression can be a good sign that you have low levels of testosterone. To find out if they are dangerously low levels, you should take a testosterone test, so you know if you require any further treatment.
As testosterone levels drop as you age, you should speak to a medical practitioner about your exact circumstances, although, a normal range of testosterone in adult men is between 300 and 1200 ng/dL.
Consequences of Low Testosterone in Men
Since testosterone is so important for our physical health, keeping our bones and muscle strong, not having enough testosterone can have long-term health consequences. Without sufficient testosterone, bones become weaker and muscle mass is lost, so there is an increased risk of injury in day-to-day activities as well as loss in performance during exercise with a potential for injury.
Many people worry that having low levels of testosterone means they’re infertile, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Low levels of testosterone mean fewer sperm are produced in the testicles, so conception may be more difficult due to the lower sperm count. But even men with low sperm counts can conceive, it just might take a little longer than anticipated.
How to Test Testosterone Levels
To measure your testosterone levels, you’ll need to take a blood test. You can either call your GP and ask for a testosterone blood test to be performed in the practice - although they may require a prior appointment to assess the medical necessity of the test - or you can simply purchase a testosterone blood test to do yourself at home.
Two common testosterone tests are:
If you have your blood test done at the doctor’s office, you’ll have your blood drawn with a needle, or if you do it yourself at home, you’ll be sent a lancet in your test kit to prick your finger and draw blood for you to collect in a small plastic vial. Just send the sample back to the lab in the prepaid post and you’ll have your results back within 2 working days.
The laboratory will send your results back via a secure email or they will be made available to view in the company’s app, and you’ll be given information on how to interpret your results.
If your test results are outside of the normal range, you should make an appointment with your doctor to discuss treatment plans and the possible cause of your testosterone abnormality.
- From age 13 to 17, boys have on average 200 to 500 ng/dL
- Over the age of 17, men have on average 300 to 1200 ng/dL
If you’ve had gender reassignment surgery or undergone hormone replacement therapy, you should speak to your doctor about your symptoms and testosterone levels in your particular case.
Why You Need an At-Home Testosterone Test
If your results are abnormal and you need to see a doctor about them anyway, why take an at-home testosterone test? This is an understandable query as health tests in the UK are free, so you can save yourself the £30-50 cost of the home test. However, with NHS waiting lists still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, and GP surgeries pushed to their limits, getting a doctor’s appointment to discuss your symptoms is easier said than done.
Then you have to wait again for blood tests - if your doctor agrees to them - and wait further for the results. All in all, you could wait well over a month to find out if you’re testosterone deficient. At Official Rapid Tests, we think that’s too long.
People in the UK deserve better for their health, which is why we’ve developed affordable and reliable home medical tests, like our testosterone tests, so everyone can stay on top of their healthcare, and get the urgent results they need. Once you’ve got your test results, you can call your doctor or NHS 111 to give them your results and skip the waiting time by getting an appointment to discuss potential further treatments or lifestyle changes you may be able to make.
Increasing Testosterone Levels
There are a few ways of increasing your testosterone levels through making lifestyle changes, but if you’re otherwise fit and healthy, these steps won’t be applicable. What’s more, making sure you live a healthy life free from unhealthy habits is effective in younger men, but is an insufficient treatment in older men. Let’s look at some ways to naturally increase your testosterone and a medical alternative.
Stop Bad Habits
Smoking and drinking alcohol excessively have been proven to lower testosterone levels in men, so if you’re a frequent drinker or smoker and have low testosterone levels, stopping drinking and smoking are the first things you should do to allow your hormone levels to rise back to normal. If you’re a heavy drinker or alcoholic, you should consult your doctor before stopping altogether as you may experience withdrawal symptoms that can be harmful.
Testosterone levels won’t rise overnight, but you should start to see a difference in your symptoms and in your levels via a home testosterone test within a few weeks, particularly if you’re under 40. If you kick your habits and still show signs of low or insufficient testosterone, you should see your doctor.
Get Healthier
Men who don’t regularly exercise and don’t eat a balanced diet also experience low levels of testosterone, and thankfully this can be easily fixed with a change of diet and an exercise routine. Our diets should predominantly comprise protein, carbohydrates and nutrients through fruits and vegetables, with very little fat, salt and sugar. So if you regularly eat fast food or don’t consume many vegetables, you should make some changes to your diet to raise your testosterone levels.
Hormone Treatment
When lifestyle changes can’t be made, or are made but don’t sufficiently raise testosterone levels, hormone treatments are the best option. Treating low testosterone is known as Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and is given to men who have low testosterone levels confirmed by a blood test to replace the testosterone they’re missing.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy can be administered via:
- Dissolvable tablets
- Injections
- Skin patches
- Gels
- Implants
All methods of TRT are effective, raising testosterone levels in one to two months, so you can discuss with your doctor which method is best or easiest for you.
Get Your Testosterone Test Today!
Don’t wait around worrying about your symptoms; buy Official Rapid Tests’ affordable and reliable home testosterone test today, so you can take control of your health.