Testosterone is a hormone that is found primarily in men and less so in women. It is most often associated with one’s sex drive but it also affects the muscle mass and the bone mass as well. Testosterone levels play a crucial role in your health as abnormally low levels or high levels can impact a man’s physical and mental health to a huge extent.
What Does It Do
Testosterone plays a crucial role in sperm production as well as physical and mental health. It affects muscle mass and bone mass. It also works to affect the way men store fat in their body and even red blood cell production.
The overall mood of a man may be dependent on the man’s testosterone levels. A man’s testosterone levels may naturally and automatically decline with time. The low levels of testosterone can produce a range of symptoms in men namely:
• Decreased sex drive
• Thinner bones
• Less body hair
• Moodiness
• Weight gain
• Less energy
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
It is believed that testosterone production generally tends to taper off as a man starts to age. There are other factors that can also cause the hormone levels to decline. For instance, injury to the testicles and cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy can work to affect testosterone production. Moreover, chronic diseases and stress can also affect production. On the other hand, high testosterone is also not a good sign and it should be checked by a doctor right away.
Some of the most common types of diseases that affect its production are:
• Aids
• Kidney Disease
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Alcoholism
Testosterone is regarded as the most important male hormone by the National Institutes of Health. Testosterone belongs to a class of the male hormones called androgens and it is also sometimes called anabolic steroids or steroids in general. Testosterone plays an important role in the development and maintenance of a man’s health. The amount of testosterone your body produces is controlled by the brain’s hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
DISCLAIMER: The medical information on this site is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.