There are two main causes of low testosterone in individuals, they are categorized into two categories which are primary and secondary hypogonadism.

Primary hypogonadism focuses on underactive testes, which is due to the fact that they do not create sufficient levels of testosterone that are necessary for optimal growth and health. Due to this underactivity, it can be inherited or acquired by accident or due to an illness.

Inherited conditions of primary hypogonadism:

• Undescended testicles
• Klinefelter’s syndrome
• Hemochromatosis

Types of damage that can be caused to the testicles due to primary hypogonadism include:

• Physical injuries to the testes
• Mumps orchitis
• Cancer treatment

Secondary hypogonadism focuses on the damage to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. These are the parts of the brain that control the hormone production in the testes.

Inherited or disease caused conditions in this category include:

• Pituitary disorder
• Kallman syndrome
• Inflammatory diseases
• HIV/AIDs

Circumstances that can be acquired and be led to secondary hypogonadism include:

• Normal aging
• Obesity
• Medications
• Concurrent illness

Low testosterone in men is quite common, particularly in men that are 45 years of age or older. It can be difficult to define what is normal testosterone levels, this is mainly due to the varying levels of testosterone that can occur throughout the day which will affect the BMI which is also known as the body mass index, nutrition, certain medications that are being taken, alcohol consumption, age, and illness.

Signs and symptoms of low levels of testosterone in men are often due to normal aging, but also can occur during the fetal development stage, puberty, or even during adulthood.

• Fetal Development

If hypogonadism begins during the fetal development stage, the result is impaired growth to the external sex organs. This is dependent on when hypogonadism begins and the level of testosterone that is present during the fetal development stage, then a male may develop:

• Female genitals
• Ambiguous genitals, which are not defined as clearly male or female
• Underdeveloped male genitals
• Puberty

Even during your normal growth period, it can become jeopardized if hypogonadism happens, problems can occur with:

• Muscle development
• Deepening of the male voice
• Lack of body hair
• Underdeveloped genitals
• Long and lanky limbs
• Enlarged chest (breast) area
• Adulthood

Finally, the last area of life that hypogonadism can occur is in adulthood, insufficient levels of testosterone can lead to many other issues, the symptoms that would be showcased include:

• Low energy
• Low muscle mass
• Infertility
• Erectile dysfunction
• Decreased sex drive
• Hair growth is slow
• Hair loss
• Loss of bone mass
• Gynecomastia
• Fatigue
• Mental fogginess

There are many benefits to testosterone therapy for individuals who are dealing with low testosterone. Each individual will deal with different improvements, many have noticed increased energy levels, higher sex drive, and the quality of their erections have improved. Testosterone therapy can also increase muscle mass, bone density, and insulin sensitivity. Men have also noticed improvements in their mood due to testosterone replacement therapy. The benefits can be noticeable, from major boost to minimal improvements. Each individual is different. If you are interested in learning more about our low testosterone treatment, please give us a call or book an appointment for more information. We are located at 107 Edinburgh S. Drive, Suite 215 Cary, NC 27511. We treat patients from Cary NC, Raleigh NC, Durham NC, Chapel Hill NC, Apex NC, Pittsboro NC, and Garner NC.