Testosterone Replacement Therapy
-
- Tweet
Dr. Van Tran Family Practice
Family Medicine located in Houston, TX
Men who experience the loss of their sex drive or a drop in physical performance may have low testosterone, a condition that affects nearly 40% of men over the age of 45. The team at Dr. Van Tran Family Practice has helped many men with low testosterone. Dr. Tran develops a customized treatment protocol to restore your health, including testosterone replacement therapy to reverse the problems caused by low hormones. If you have questions, call the office in Houston or book an appointment online.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy Q & A
What causes low testosterone in men?
Your testosterone levels can drop for many reasons, but one of the most common is your age. Although men don’t go through a transition like menopause, their hormone levels naturally decline as they get older.
Your testosterone production begins to drop after the age of 30 and continues to decline over time. In most men, testosterone levels go down by about 1% every year.
Hypogonadism is another cause of low testosterone. When you have hypogonadism, your testes don’t produce enough testosterone due to a physical problem that’s not related to normal aging.
Hypogonadism is caused by many possible health problems, including:
- Mumps during adolescence or adulthood
- Excessive iron in your blood
- Testicle injury
- Pituitary gland disorder
- Inflammatory disease
- Kidney failure
- Liver cirrhosis
- Obesity or extreme weight loss
You may have a higher risk of developing hypogonadism if you have untreated sleep apnea or a family history of low testosterone.
What are the symptoms of low testosterone?
When adult men have low testosterone, they develop symptoms such as:
Change in sexual function
You may have a low sex drive or fewer spontaneous erections.
Emotional and cognitive changes
Men are susceptible to depression, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating when testosterone is low.
Cigarette Smoking
Low testosterone may cause:
- Anemia
- Weight gain
- Loss of muscle mass and strength
- Loss of bone density
- Thinning of beard and body hair
- Development of breast tissue
Hypogonadism in young boys can delay puberty or affect their development. Their voice may not deepen, body hair may not grow in, and their muscle mass may not increase. Additionally, their penis and testicles may not develop normally.
What is testosterone replacement therapy?
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of your low testosterone. When the problem is a natural age-related decline or testicular failure, Dr. Tran provides testosterone replacement therapy to bring your hormones back to normal levels.
Dr. Tran runs blood work to check your testosterone levels, and then develops an individualized treatment protocol to get you feeling like yourself again.
Testosterone replacement reverses your symptoms. Muscle strength is restored, osteoporosis is prevented, and your sex drive and erectile function return.
If your sex drive isn’t what it used to be, or you suffer from erectile dysfunction or a loss of muscle mass, call Dr. Van Tran Family Practice or book an appointment online.
