What Is Testosterone?

what is testosteroneWhat Can This Hormone Do For You?

If you’re someone who is dealing with the consequences of an aging body and don’t know why, then you might want to listen up on what I have to say. This article with go over the human produced hormone, testosterone. So what is testosterone? This is a steroid hormone that stimulated development of male secondary sexual characteristics, produced mainly in the testes, but also in the ovaries and adrenal cortex. And if you’re experiencing unwanted signs of aging, it could be because you have low testosterone levels. This article with go over the what testosterone is, how it affects your body and what happens when you’re not producing enough of it.

Most of the time when you’re dealing with low testosterone levels its because you are reaching your more advanced years. The production of this hormone gets slowed down. However, there are other reasons as to why you could be experiencing early onset signs of these such as, genetics, lifestyle and more. With today’s advanced technology there are several ways to improve you testosterone levels without dealing with many of the side effects. Now you don’t have to worry about the question, what is testosterone and how it effects our bodies anymore! Keep reading to find out more.

What Is Testosterone?

This hormone is naturally produced in the human body, as well as in many animals. The testicles in men primarily produce this hormone and the ovaries in women. However, the production in women usually is in much smaller amounts. The production of testosterone typically started during puberty and begins to decline after the age of 30 or so.

When most people think of “what is testosterone” they often link it to having a sex drive. It often plays a vital role in sperm production, but it also affects bone and muscle mass, the way men store fat in their body, and even red blood cell production. Depending on you levels of testosterone it can also effect their moods. Seeing a drop in these hormone levels can contribute to moodiness, weight gain, loss of muscle mass an diminished libido.

It’s easy to determine your levels by doing a simple blood work test. Men who levels have dropped significantly and naturally can use artificial testosterone to treat these low levels. However, its important to know that these therapies come with risks and benefits.

What Causes Low Testosterone Levels?

As already mentioned, levels of testosterone tend to typically taper off because of aging. However, there are many other factors that can result in the decline of this hormone. These can either be an injury to the testicles, chemotherapy or radiation treatment for cancer, some chronic diseases such as AIDS, kidney disease, alcoholism, and cirrhosis of the liver. If you’re someone who is easily stressed, then this can lead to low production levels as well.

A big sign of this in men is the lack of sex drive, which results in a decrease in energy and weight gain, feelings of depression and diminished self esteem. Overtime your bones can become thinner and more vulnerable to fracture.

There are many ways to test your levels of testosterone as well. It’s important to note though that the normal range of testosterone for men is between 300 to 1000 ng/dL, according to the National Institutes of Health. When it comes to abnormally high levels of testosterone it could mean a man has an adrenal gland disorder or even cancer of the testes. This if often rate as well. However, unusually low testosterone levels could be a sign of pituitary gland problems. The pituitary gland sends a signaling hormone to the testicles to produce more testosterone. A low level could result and indicate that the pituitary gland isn’t working properly.

If you happen to be dealing with any signs of low testosterone levels, consider visiting your doctor for treatment.