How Testosterone Replacement Therapy works?
Testosterone replacement therapy helps to correct testosterone deficiency and raise testosterone levels back into a healthy range. TRT or androgen replacement therapy (ART) is a treatment that doctors give to males who have testosterone deficiency and are showing symptoms of hypogonadism. Taking prescription testosterone through testosterone replacement therapy helps restore the levels of this hormone in the blood, reversing the symptoms of low testosterone.
Causes of low testosterone
Low testosterone affects almost 40% of men aged 45 and older. It is difficult to define normal testosterone levels, because levels vary throughout the day and are affected by body mass index (BMI), nutrition, alcohol consumption, certain medications, age, and illness.
Testosterone may play a role in red blood cell production. Men tend to have higher red blood cell counts than women. Additionally, those levels tend to increase significantly around the time of puberty, when the body produces a lot of testosterone.
As a man ages, the amount of testosterone in his body gradually drops. This natural decline starts after age 30 and continues (about 1% per year) throughout his life, putting him at increased risk of low t.
There are many other potential causes of low testosterone, including:
- Injury (trauma, interrupted blood supply to the testes) or infection of the testes (orchitis)
- Chemotherapy for cancer
- Metabolic disorders
- Dysfunction or tumors of the pituitary gland
- Medications, including opioids, hormones used to treat prostate cancer, and steroids (such as prednisone)
- Acute or chronic illness
- Alcohol abuse
- Kidney failure
- HIV/AIDS
- Inflammatory conditions such as sarcoidosis (a condition that causes inflammation of the lungs and other organs)
- High levels of the milk-producing hormone prolactin
- Obesity or extreme weight loss
- Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Estrogen excess
- Previous steroid abuse
- Hypothyroidism
- Trauma (head injury)
- Aging
And more.
Symptoms of low testosterone
Low testosterone is diagnosed by measuring the amount of testosterone in the blood with a blood test. It may take several measurements to determine if a patient has low testosterone since levels tend to change throughout the day.
The highest levels of testosterone are generally in the morning, near 8 a.m. This is why doctors prefer to measure testosterone levels in the early morning.
Symptoms of low testosterone include the following:
- Low sex drive
- Fewer spontaneous erections
- Erectile dysfunction
- Decreased sense of well-being
- Depressed mood
- Difficulties with concentration and memory
- Fatigue
- Moodiness and irritability
- Loss of muscular strength
- A decrease in body hair growth
- Thinning of the bones (osteoporosis)
- Increased body fat
- Breast development (gynecomastia)
- Infertility
Benefits of Testosterone Therapy
Potential benefits of testosterone replacement therapy include:
- Fat loss
- Increased bone density and protection against osteoporosis
- Improved mood and sense of well-being
- Improved sexual function
- Improved mental sharpness
- Greater muscle strength and physical performance
Build Muscle Mass
Muscle mass is one of the largest factors in long-term healthspan. The greater amount of muscle individuals is able to maintain later into life, the better many health outcomes and resistance to wasting disease.
Your muscles help keep your metabolic system intact. By maintaining this muscle mass you’ll help protect yourself against obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease while keeping your metabolism and hormone levels functioning at higher profiles (including maintaining enough testosterone).
Testosterone is responsible for increased muscle mass. Leaner body mass helps control weight and increases energy. For men with low testosterone, studies show that treatment can decrease fat mass and increase muscle size and strength.
Testosterone Treatment Options
What can you expect from testosterone treatment? It’s impossible to predict because every man is different. Following hormone replacement therapy, many men report improvement in energy level, sex drive, and quality of erections. Testosterone also increases bone density, muscle mass, and insulin sensitivity in some men.
Oral testosterone supplements must pass through FDA drug safety communication and be monitored by your healthcare provider.
Treatment options may look like:
- Skin patch (transdermal): A skin patch worn on the arm or upper body. It is typically applied once a day.
- Gels: Testosterone is absorbed directly through the skin when you apply a gel once a day. Some testosterone gels come in a pump that delivers the amount of testosterone prescribed by your doctor.
- Mouth patch: A tablet that sticks to the upper gums above the incisor, the tooth just to the right or left of the two front teeth. Applied twice a day, it continuously releases testosterone into the blood through the oral tissues.
- Injections and implants: Testosterone injections can be injected directly into the muscles, or implanted as pellets in the soft tissues. Your body slowly absorbs the testosterone into the bloodstream.
We, at Tucson Wellness, provide various Testosterone Treatment Options for men and women as well.
Give Your Body the Best
Tucson Wellness MD only sells pharmaceutical-grade products to help you reach your goals. Our products meet actual pharmaceutical standards, which means they are 99% pure with no binders, fillers, excipients, dyes, or unknown substances. Store and Internet-bought supplements are unregulated and often diluted. We give your body the best, so your body will give its best.
Learn more about professional, medical-grade testosterone replacement therapy while continuing to explore our website.