Low Testosterone (cont.)
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C)
Ruchi Mathur, MD, FRCP(C) is an Attending Physician with the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Associate Director of Clinical Research, Recruitment and Phenotyping with the Center for Androgen Related Disorders, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
In this Article
- Low testosterone facts
- What is testosterone?
- What is low testosterone?
- What are the causes of low testosterone?
- What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
- When should I seek medical care for low testosterone?
- How is low testosterone diagnosed?
- What is the treatment for low testosterone?
- What are the complications of low testosterone?
- Can low testosterone be prevented?
- What is the outlook for a patient with low testosterone?
- Low Testosterone (Low T) - Slideshow
- Take the Low Testosterone (Low T) Quiz
- Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence) - Slideshow
- Find a local Endocrinologist in your town
What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
Low testosterone symptoms in males
In males, symptoms of decreased testosterone depend upon when the low levels occur.
If there is inadequate testosterone in the fetus, genital development may be affected. There may be poor development of the penis and scrotum, with an appearance of female genitalia or ambiguous genitalia that are neither male nor female. Remember that the definition of male is based upon the type of chromosomes present and not necessarily upon the outward physical appearance.
If low testosterone occurs before or during puberty, there may be a lack of sexual maturation. Signs may include failure to develop muscle mass, failure of the voice to deepen, poor growth of body hair, enlarged breasts (gynecomastia), and failure of the penis and testes to enlarge.
In adulthood, low testosterone may lead to decreased sexual function and desire, infertility, and erectile dysfunction. Loss of hair, decreased muscle mass, and osteoporosis or decreased bone density may occur.
Low testosterone symptoms in females
While low testosterone is usually thought of as a male disease, low levels may occur in women and cause significant issues. Symptoms may include hot flashes, irritability, loss of sexual desire (decreased libido), and sleep disturbances. Loss of muscle mass, decreased bone density (osteoporosis), and loss of body hair may also be seen.
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