Your body is full of hormones, which are tiny messengers that regulate almost every function in the human body. The work of hormones largely goes unnoticed unless there’s an imbalance, at which point you’re made very aware of their role in your health. Such is the case with testosterone, which can cast a surprisingly wide net over your physical and mental well-being.
At Lafferty Family Care, Dr. Scott Lafferty and our team provide comprehensive services that are designed to monitor most of the major areas of your health. When it comes to the role of hormones, we’re keenly aware of the impact they have on your body, especially reproductive hormones in both men and women.
To give you an idea of their impact, we’re focusing here on men and low testosterone levels and five of the potential consequences of a testosterone deficiency.
Let’s start with the most obvious side effect of a testosterone deficiency — its impact on your libido. When you have lower-than-normal levels of testosterone, your sex drive can taper off. While aging can have some impact on your desire for sex, if you find that your libido has plummeted for no apparent reason, it may be due to low testosterone (low T).
As if a lower sex drive weren’t frustrating enough, low T can create problems even when you want to have sex by causing erectile dysfunction. When you’re aroused, a chain of events takes place to help you achieve and maintain an erection, and your testosterone plays a role in this complex process.
If your exercise regimen hasn’t changed, but you find yourself losing muscle mass, the problem may lie in a lack of testosterone. Among their many areas of regulation, testosterone promotes muscle mass, so when levels decline, you may be left with a decline in muscles.
This side effect is one that’s hard to put a finger on, but “lack of energy,” is one description we hear the most. If you’re getting enough sleep each night, but you’re still feeling sluggish and unmotivated during the day, it’s time to check to see whether low T is to blame.
The link between testosterone and your mental health is an area that’s under much investigation. What researchers have found is that low T can be linked to mood swings and depression.
The first step in determining whether you have insufficient testosterone levels is to have us run a blood test. If we find that your testosterone is on the low side, we offer hormone replacement therapy.
To administer the testosterone, we place a pellet under your skin that slowly releases the hormone (or a bioidentical version of the hormone) into your body. Pellets typically last from 3-6 months, at which point you simply return for another round.
If you suspect you may have a testosterone deficiency, the first step is to contact our office in Bentonville, Arkansas, to set up an appointment.
