Testosterone is an important hormone for men. It helps them in the maintenance of muscles, and it also improves their bone health. Testosterone also plays a serious role in their good sex life.
After touching their 30s, men start to lose their testosterone yearly. This overall drop leads to the condition of low testosterone in their body. On average, 1 in 5 men is likely to face such problems.
Testosterone therapy is used to increase the level of testosterone in the body. Before getting yourself ready for the therapy, you must be aware of the possible side effects and potential risks.
There are various signs of low testosterone in your body, for example, feeling depressed, disturbed sleep schedule, lower sex drive, and low self-confidence.
| Advantages Of Testosterone Therapy | Disadvantage Of Testosterone Therapy |
|---|---|
| Healthy heart | Disturbed breathing |
| Healthy muscle, less fat | Skin reactions |
| Increases bone mineral density | Prostate cancer |
| Better memory | Blood clot |
| Better sexual activity | Shrinking of testicles |
| Increases quality of life | Risk of heart diseases |
| Reverses hypogonadism | Enlargement of breasts |
Advantages Of Testosterone Therapy:
The idea of Testosterone therapy sounds good to many people around us. Low testosterone levels in men due to aging are quite a normal phenomenon.
This therapy is conducted in various forms, such as gels, injections, pellets, or patches. Testosterone therapy can increase the levels of testosterone as well as improve the conditions of these men.
Healthy Heart
One of the major benefits of testosterone therapy is that it will help you with the increased production of red blood cells. It will make your heart healthy, and a healthy heart can pump blood to all your body.
Muscles and organs will be provided with the necessary amounts of oxygen. Oxygen is required for their peak performance. Research is filled with mixed results regarding testosterone therapy helping heart-related diseases.
A slight improvement might be evident in some of the patients. Testosterone therapy also helps widen healthy arteries but has little to no effect on pain.
Healthy Muscle, Less Fat
Increased hormone levels will increase your muscle mass. Suppose you want your strength levels to increase tremendously.
In that case, you should combine testosterone therapy with strengthening exercises, as many men have reported changes in their body mass but no increased levels of strength. Testosterone therapy also decreases the levels of fat in the body.
Your effort is counted to enjoy the most benefits of testosterone therapy. Aging decreases your body’s muscle mass, making you lethargic and weak in strength. It can be avoided if you increase the level of testosterone in your body.
Increases Bone Mineral Density
The testosterone hormone plays an important role in increasing your bone mineral density. Bone density is severely affected as men start aging, and testosterone levels are decreased in their bodies.
This can lead to osteoporosis as bones are weakened. If you are into athleisure, your performance can be affected due to low testosterone levels. Testosterone therapy is appropriate and beneficial if you want strong bones and healthy muscles.
It also depends on the dosage of testosterone treatment, researches have shown that a high dosage of testosterone can improve bone density. It may not reduce the risk of fractures, but it increases the density of spinal and hip bones.
Better Memory
Alzheimer’s disease is common in old age, but a higher ratio of testosterone can reduce the risk. It also improves thinking capabilities, spatial abilities, and mathematical reasoning. Higher levels of testosterone also help in fastening processing speed.
So, if your thinking abilities have decreased and you plan to change, you must opt for testosterone therapy. You will experience an overall change in your verbal memory and thinking capabilities.
Better Sexual Activity
Your testosterone level will naturally increase in response to all sexual activity. Men who have a higher level of testosterone in their bodies are usually sexually active.
Older men usually suffer from erectile dysfunction because of low testosterone levels in their bodies. Testosterone therapy will have a positive impact on your sexual performance.
It will also benefit your sexual health. It is natural to face problems regarding your libido at an older age. Declination in your sexual activity can also hurt your mental health. To prevent all of this, you must focus on testosterone production.
Increases Quality Of Life
Low testosterone levels in the body also mean experiencing poor quality of life. A person might start getting depressed because of a decreased level of testosterone in the body.
Fatigue and getting irritated about unnecessary things are also some of the symptoms of low testosterone levels in the body. Hypogonadism is also one of the reasons behind depression in men.
Testosterone therapy can bring a lot of change and increase the quality of your life by improving your overall mood. Studies have shown that testosterone therapy also acts as a treatment for depression.
Disadvantages Of Testosterone Therapy:
There are various side effects and potential side effects associated with testosterone therapy. Each treatment comes with its own set of side effects; for example, patches can cause itching and irritate your skin, while injections can affect your mood.
Men who are suffering from prostate cancer are strictly advised not to go through the treatment.
Disturbed Breathing
Sleep-disordered breathing with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can be worsened due to testosterone therapy.
Assessments were conducted on obese men who are suffering from severe OSA, and it was found that their condition worsened. Due to testosterone therapy, hypogonadal men will likely experience disordered breathing during sleep.
So, now we can conclude that Testosterone therapy does hurt the respiratory sleeping patterns of men. This disadvantage is enough for you not to consider testosterone therapy, especially if you are an obese man who is suffering from OSA.
Skin Reactions
Testosterone therapy causes various kinds of skin problems. Skin disorders due to steroid hormones are common side effects.
Suffering from problems like acne, redness, irritated skin, pain, and infection at the position where you were injected are experienced by hypogonadal men. Some patients also experience a pruritic rash.
Blistering and redness of the skin are more common side effects. These side effects need medical attention. The skin under patches can also harden or thicken due to treatment.
Some of these side effects might go away on their own. The body requires time to adjust to the treatment.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer cells depend on testosterone, the hormone that helps them grow. Prostate cancer is one of the adverse effects of testosterone therapy. It can easily promote prostate cancer in your body.
Androgen plays a key role in developing cancer, which means testosterone therapy can also potentially drive the progression of prostate cancer cells.
So, if you already have a history of prostate cancer, you must avoid this treatment as it can complicate matters for you.
Blood Clot
Testosterone therapy also comes with the risk of the development of blood clots. Some studies have found a relationship between testosterone therapy and the risk of developing blood clots in the body.
A blood clot is a long-term risk. Blood clots, especially those that are developed in the veins, can be extremely risky.
Immediate medical attention is necessary for such conditions because if it is left untreated, they can create life-threatening situations for the patient.
A blood clot can dislodge and go directly to the harmful lungs. It has been claimed that testosterone can interfere with the enzymes that break down blood clots. This leads to the formation of blood clots in the body.
Shrinking of Testicles
Testicular atrophy is the correct term for the shrinking of testicles. Testicles are two male glands. Exposure to certain chemicals can also lead to testicular atrophy. Men who undergo testosterone therapy also experience the shrinking of their testicles.
Testosterone therapy stops the production of gonadotropin, which stops the pituitary glands from making luteinizing hormones. Without it, the testicles stop producing testosterone which results in the shrinking of the testicle.
In such cases, one must consult with their doctors because, in some cases, STI can also be the reason. Early treatment can reverse the changes.
Risk of Heart Diseases
Men who go through testosterone therapy suffer from an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and also, and heart attack. High doses of testosterone can affect your heart and make your body prone to cardiovascular disease.
Heart diseases are quite complex, and so is testosterone. Testosterone can negatively influence your heart. Cardiovascular diseases are life-threatening.
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