Low Testosterone in Men, Signs, Symptom, Causes, Tests, Treatment, Remedies, Supplements & Injections

Testosterone is known as a “male hormone”. This clearly indicates that, as a man, having low testosterone can seriously jeopardize your masculinity, which the basic pride of any man. But what exactly causes low testosterone in men and what are its signs and symptoms? This post explores the causes and effects of low testosterone in men and how it can be tested and diagnosed. It also outlines effective treatments and natural remedies for low testosterone in men, including supplements and Injections.

Table of Contents

What is Low Testosterone in Men?

Testosterone is a vital male steroid hormone that determines the typical male features and characteristics, such as reproductive organs, sperm development, sex drive, and erection.

The hormone also influences many other characteristics men’s health. These include body fat, bone mass, muscle mass, voice deepening, hair growth, red blood cells, mood, memory, and sleep.

Low testosterone in men can affect their typical male characteristics

Women also produce testosterone, but it is referred to as the male hormone because men produce a lot more of it. Also, it has comparatively much more influence on the characteristics of males than females

In general, testosterone determines the basic masculine features and characteristics in males. Therefore, having low or high testosterone than normal level will definitely affect these features and characteristics negatively.

The normal range for testosterone in men lies between 280 and 1100 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Hence, men are considered to be having low testosterone if the level falls below the stated range. Similarly, if levels of testosterone lie above the indicated range, it is considered to be high testosterone.

Low testosterone in men is also be referred to as low testosterone level, low T, or testosterone deficiency. The term hypogonadism refers to the inability of the body to produce enough testosterone.

Signs and Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Men

What are the signs and symptoms of low testosterone in men? The effects of low testosterone in the body usually lead to different unusual physiological and psychological processes and conditions. Accordingly, low testosterone in men manifests itself in various signs and symptoms as a result of the effects this condition produces in their bodies.

Therefore, it is vital for men to be familiar with the signs and symptoms of low testosterone in their bodies. This way, they will be able to identify the deficiency and seek appropriate health interventions to address the issue.

However, most of the signs and symptoms of low testosterone can result from many other health issues apart from low testosterone. Therefore, it is prudent to carry out a test to confirm that you have low testosterone, even when you experience some or all of the signs and symptoms. The common signs and symptoms of low testosterone in men include:

1. Low Libido

The term low libido refers to reduced interest for sex. Typically, having a low libido is one of the most significant and obvious signs of low testosterone in men. Usually, testosterone in men decreases as you grow older. However, when it is unusually low, you will notice an evident drop in your desire for sexual intercourse.

Decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction are common signs of low testosterone in men

2. Erectile Dysfunction

Besides keeping your libido normal, testosterone is also responsible for helping you achieve and maintain a full erection. It works together with other substances in the body to trigger a series of chemical changes that enable an erection to take place. The changes also help maintain the erection so that it lasts long enough to have adequate sex.

3. Constant Fatigue

A decrease in testosterone in men can usually lead to low energy levels. If you experience unusual fatigue, even when you have not engaged in heavy activities, it could be an indication that you are suffering from low testosterone. Men who find that they regularly a nap during the day, especially in the afternoon, are probably having low testosterone in their bodies.

4. Severe Depression

Severe depression may be an indication of low testosterone in men

When testosterone decreases in a man’s body, it may lead to a decreased emotional well-being. As a result, he is likely to experience persistent depression. Depression is a medical condition in which you feel extremely sad and anxious. This condition may lead to physiological problems and hence other health issues.

5. Mood Swings

As we have seen above, a man with low testosterone is likely to experience depression. In turn, depression may cause various effects, including mood swings. Mood swings is a term that refers to rapid changes in mood. Mood swings may be the usual minor daily mood changes or serious mood changes which are normally associated with other health issues like depression and bipolar disorder. Accordingly, low testosterone usually causes significant mood swings.

6. Decreased Bone Mass

Testosterone helps in the production and strengthening of bones. Therefore, when you have normal levels of testosterone, your bones will be healthy and strong. On the other hand, when there is a substantial drop in testosterone, you are likely to experience thinning bones. Low bone volume makes them weak and hence susceptible to fractures.

7. Decreased Muscle Mass

Testosterone hormone plays a vital role in giving men healthy and strong muscles. Therefore, a man with normal levels of testosterone will have properly built muscles. In contrast, a man with low testosterone is likely to experience low muscle mass. However, low testosterone does not always affect the strength or functionality of the muscles despite the low mass.

8. Increased Body Fat

Often, low testosterone in men may result in increased body fat. Normally, the body of a male person produces both testosterone and estrogen. However, the estrogen produced is men is at much low levels compared to testosterone.

But when the body produces inadequate testosterone, it leads to is hormone imbalance. In this case, there is a comparatively higher level of estrogen than testosterone with respect to their normal levels. This triggers the development of more fat leading to excessive weight gain.

9. Enlarged Breast

Low testosterone may cause enlarged breast in men (gynaecomastia)

Enlarged breasts among men is medically known as gynecomastia. It is definitely not a normal occurrence among men. One of the possible causes of larger than normal breasts in men is hormonal imbalance resulting from low testosterone. Low testosterone leads to relatively higher levels of estrogen n men’s body. Just like in increased body fat body, this hormonal imbalance may lead to enlarged breasts.

10. Sleep Disturbances

In some cases, low testosterone in men may result in insomnia or other sleep disturbances, including changes in sleep patterns.

11. Trouble Concentrating

Many men with low testosterone often experience trouble in regulating their overall consciousness. This abnormality is known as clouding of consciousness, brain fog or mental fog. The men suffering from this condition often find themselves easily getting lost in the mental activities that they are engaged in because they have trouble concentrating.

12. Memory Loss

Men suffering from low testosterone also experience constant memory loss also called amnesia. Memory loss is characterized by the inability of a person to remember information and events that they would normally recall easily. Memory loss can quite disrupt your daily life experiences.

Memory loss can affect short-term memory, long-term memory or both. Although both types of memory loss will certainly affect your life, severe short term memory loss disrupts more since it ca even because you to get off track even when you are talking.

13. Low Semen Volume

Testosterone plays a central role in the production of semen in men. Semen is the milky fluid that aids in the movement of sperm. Low testosterone may lead to decreased volume of semen during ejaculation.

14. Infertility

As we have seen above, if a man has low testosterone, he is likely to experience decreased sex drive. In addition, low testosterone may lead to erectile dysfunction. As a result of these two factors i.e. low sex drive and low semen volume, the ability to releasing a viable sperm that will move to the ova for fertilization is greatly hindered. Hence, low testosterone may lead to infertility in men.

15. Rapid Hair Loss

Testosterone plays an important role in various body functions in men. On of such roles is hair production. In men, hair loss or balding is a natural aspect of aging. Nevertheless, low testosterone may also lead to decreased body hair. In any case, testosterone reduces as one gets older and this could be the reason for going bald with age.

However, there is an inherited component of hair loss. The inherited component is what determines why some men get baldness a bit earlier than others and the different bald patterns among different men, which usually run in families.

Causes of Low Testosterone in Men

The causes of low testosterone in men include inherited genetic factors, lifestyle factors and lifestyle health problems Also, certain diseases, conditions, and disorders are risk factors for low testosterone in men.

In some cases though, certain medications are the cause whereas in others the causes are not known. The list below outlines the common causes of low testosterone in men.

Hypothalamic disease
Pituitary disease
Benign pituitary tumor
Injury to the testicles
Hormonal disorders
Certain Infections
HIV/AIDS
Testicular cancer
Chronic liver disease
Chronic kidney disease
Type 2 diabetes: Diabetes is a health problem that causes blood glucose (sugar) in your body to rise higher levels than normal. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, your body does not use insulin properly, a condition that referred to as insulin resistance.
Being overweight: Being overweight or obesity is a condition where your body has more body fat than is optimally healthy. Obesity is usually caused by genetic factors, certain diseases, certain medications, psychological factors and lifestyle factors such as excessive intake of carbohydrates, general overeating, frequent eating and physical inactivity.
Some inherited diseases, especially Kallman’s syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and down syndrome
Aging: The production of testosterone naturally decreases as you grow older due to the physiological changes that occur. This probably explains why older men tend to have more and more erectile dysfunction issues.
Medication for testicular cancer such as radiation and chemotherapy
Unknown causes

Causes of Low Testosterone in Young Men

Low testosterone is much less common among young men who are under 30 years. However, young men may still experience this condition. The risk factors for low testosterone among men below 30 years include:

High cholesterol levels in the body
High blood pressure
Being overweight
Excessive of alcohol
Use illegal drugs
Use anabolic steroids
Certain medications for example steroids and opiates, especially in excess quantities

Test and Diagnosis of Low Testosterone in Men

To determine whether you have a low testosterone, your doctor has to carry out a testosterone level test. “A testosterone level test measures the amount of testosterone in the blood and is reported as nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL)” [Healthline].This test is also referred to as a serum testosterone test.

Usually, your doctor will order for this test in case you have some or most signs and symptoms of low testosterone as already discussed in an earlier section of this post. However, one common reason to order this test is either having an early or a delayed puberty.

A testosterone level test involves taking a blood sample, which is then sent to the laboratory for examination. During the procedure, your doctor will clean the area where the blood will be obtained from. Usually, the blood is obtained from a vein on the inner side of the elbow.

Drawing blood from a patient's arm for testosterone test — Drawing blood from a patient’s arm for testosterone test

Your doctor will then tie an elastic rubber band on the upper part of the arm from which the blood will be drawn to make blood accumulate in the vein. He will then insert a sterile the needle into one of the veins and draw some blood into the syringe.

Upon collecting just enough blood for the test, the doctor will pull out the needle. He will immediately apply pressure to the insertion area with the aid of a sterile piece of cotton wool to stop bleeding and prevent swelling and possible bruising.

The sample blood will be sent to the medical laboratory for tests and analysis. The clinical laboratory technician will then write a laboratory report about the findings and send it to the doctor. If you are diagnosed with the condition, your doctor will advise you on the appropriate treatments and remedies for you.

Treatment Low Testosterone in Men

The choice of treatment for low testosterone in men largely depends on the causes and severity of the condition. Accordingly, if the cause of low testosterone is found to be as a result of other conditions, treatment of these conditions will fix the condition. Similarly, if the condition is found to be severe, more rapid methods are likely to be adopted in order to solve the problem faster.

Some of the common treatments that can be used to cure low testosterone in men include:

1. Treatment of Underlying Health Issues

Where the low testosterone levels in a man are caused by underlying health issues, the obvious way of dealing with the deficiency is it is by treating issues. But in the case of chronic conditions or disorders, they should be properly managed.

2. Testosterone Replacement Therapy

Testosterone replacement therapy is also referred as testosterone therapy. It refers to procedures that are intended to restore testosterone to normal levels. There are various methods of administering testosterone replacement therapy. The common ways of delivering testosterone to the body include:

Methods of administering Testosterone Therapy

Injections: This a common way of administering testosterone replacement therapy. Various medications that boost your testosterone level are injected into a muscle, especially the gluteal muscles of the buttocks. This treatment is usually given periodically, usually every few weeks. It can be administered either by a medical professional or by self-injection. One common and effective medication administered by injection is testosterone cypionate. You can get further information about this medication.
Patches or gels: Testosterone can also be introduced into the body by applying patches or gels that contain testosterone to the skin. This method of administering testosterone replacement therapy is usually done on a daily basis or according to your healthcare personnel.
Buccal Testosterone: This is a system with a tablet-shaped patch that that contains testosterone. It is applied between the upper gum and the inside of the upper lip twice per day and is changed approximately every 12 hours. The most convenient time to apply the buccal testosterone systems is after having your breakfast and brushing your teeth, and after evening dinner.
Testosterone Pellets: This is a rather newer form of treatment of administering testosterone therapy. In this treatment, the pellets are inserted beneath the skin of the buttocks, where they stay and release testosterone to the body for about three or four months.

Side Effects of Testosterone Replacement Therapy

In general, testosterone replacement therapy is a safe way of treating low testosterone in men. However, it is sometimes associated with some side effects that include:

It often causes testicular shrinkage
It may cause acne flares or oily skin
Mild fluid retention has been reported among patients
Stimulation of prostate tissue
There may be an increased risk of prostate cancer
In some men, it may lead to enlarged breasts
It leads to increased risk of having blood clots
It may worsen sleep apnea
Decreased testicular size
Sometimes it leads to increased aggression and mood swings
It might increase the risk of heart attack and stroke

How to Boost Testosterone Naturally

You can also increase testosterone in your body naturally without the use of supplements or any treatment. However, this seems to work well for men who are suffering from mild low testosterone. Some of the effective natural remedies include:

Intense physical exercise, including strength training
Loss of weight
Use limited or no sugar in your diet
Eating healthy fats
Proper stress management

Low Testosterone Remedies and Supplements.

According to Healthline, testosterone supplements are only likely to boost sex drive if you suffer from very low testosterone and hypogonadism (the condition in which the body does not produce adequate testosterone).

Surprisingly, testosterone supplements might end up causing more problems instead to treating the condition in some cases. Some of the health issues that are associated with the use of supplements to treat low testosterone include heart and prostrate problems.

Nevertheless, testosterone supplements may be used as a remedy to low testosterone. However, you need to ask your doctor to carry out tests on you to find out whether it will work for you before using it.

The tests carried on you may also be used to determine whether a given supplement will have adverse side-effects and hence whether it will be safe to use the supplements. You doctor will be in a position to advise you accordingly depending on the findings from these tests.

In addition to supplements, herbs, vitamins, and nutrients obtained from certain foods can also be used to treat low testosterone in men. These include:

Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is a tropical herb that has been used as a traditional remedy. Unconfirmed research shows that it can boost testosterone levels in men. However, it is an effective remedy to impertinence.
Malaysian ginseng (Eurycoma longifolia) is a herb that is also known as Tongkat. It is found in Southeast Asian and can stimulate the production of testosterone and other androgens. Besides, it is an effective antimalarial, antidiabetic, antimicrobial and can help relieve fever. In addition to boosting libido, Malaysian ginseng can enhance physical activity and ease depression, high blood pressure, and fatigue.
Malasian ginseng is a great remedy for low testosterone in men
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a traditional Indian medicinal plant whose roots and berries are used to make teas, extracts, and capsules. Its use increases testosterone and improve sperm concentration and motility. Hence, it is used to treat erectile dysfunction and infertility in men.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that is administered as an oral supplement. When it gets into the body, it is converted into estrogen and testosterone and hence boost testosterone in men with low levels of this hormone.
Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe)
Pine bark (Pinus pinaster) contains natural compounds that can help increase the level of testosterone in men. To use it, an extract is obtained from the bark and is commonly sold using the brand name Pycnogenol. Its other benefits include lowering cholesterol, improving blood circulation and enhancing cardiovascular well-being. As a result, it can mitigate erectile dysfunction.
Pine bark is a natural remedy for low testosterone in men
Arginine (L-arginine) is an amino acid that is normally produced by the body naturally. However, in case your body produced inadequate amounts of this amino acid, you can boost the production by eating foods like red meat, dairy products, poultry, and fish. Arginine does not boost testosterone directly but rather helps increase blood flow and treat the symptoms of low testosterone, including erectile dysfunction.
Zinc supplements can help boost testosterone but only in men with zinc deficiency. A deficiency in zinc is often associated with low testosterone in men. Zinc is also an essential nutrient in your body as it fights bacteria ns viruses among other functions. Instead of zinc supplements, you can increase zinc in your body by consuming red meat, poultry seafood, beans, nuts, dairy products and fortified breakfast cereals
Vitamin D. It is also called cholecalciferol. Besides boosting your testosterone levels, vitamin D help destroys bacteria and viruses. In addition, it helps your body absorb calcium into your bones and protect the bones from osteoporosis.
Basella alba, which is also called Indian spinach, is regularly used together with hibiscus macranthus to treat fertility problems. Fresh and dry extracts, especially alcohol extracts of the leaves of this herb can increase testosterone levels in men, though studies have not been confirmed through studies on humans.
Chrysin (Passiflora incarnate): Chrysin is available in form of either tea or supplements. Results from Studies show that chrysin can increase sperm motility, sperm concentration, and testosterone levels. However, this is substantially affected by the inability of the human body to adequately absorb the substance.
Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens): Mixed results from various studies show that saw palmetto can help boost sex drive, increase production of sperm, and improve symptoms of low testosterone in men.
Garlic (Allium sativum) has an array of medicinal properties and can be used to treat heart disease, hardened arteries, and high blood pressure. In addition, it can strengthen a weak immune system, boost testosterone and help prevent cancer. Garlic supplements are usually made from fresh, dried, or freeze-dried garlic. However, garlic oil and aged garlic extracts can also be used.
Tribulus terrestris plant can used to treat low testosterone in men. Some studies laso that show that it can cure other sexual problems and infertility in men
Fenugreek is an herb found in Mediterranean region, southern Europe, and western Asia. It has several medicinal properties and is used as a remedy for hernia, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, and several other male problems.