Weight Gain, Fatigue, Erectile Dysfunction: Possible Signs of Testosterone Deficiency?

As with many things in life, you don’t realize the full significance of something until it’s gone, which can certainly be said of your hormones, namely testosterone. These hormones, which are considered the “male hormone,” have a widespread impact on your overall health and wellness, both physically and mentally. So when your testosterone levels fall, you can experience anything from moodiness to weight gain.

At Optimized Wellness, under the experienced guidance of hormone replacement specialist Jordan Bernard, APRN, our team understands better than most how hormonal imbalances can wreak havoc on your health. Our goal is to restore hormonal order, giving you back your quality of life.

If you’re experiencing unexplained physical and mental changes, here’s a look at how a testosterone deficiency, or low T, may be behind these unwelcome developments.

Loss of muscle and weight gain

One of the primary complaints among men who have lower testosterone levels is the loss of lean muscle and ensuing weight gain. Your testosterone oversees and encourages lean muscle mass, so when your levels dip your existing muscle can decrease which paves the way for fat to take over. 

In moderate-to-severe testosterone deficiencies, your estrogen levels can take over and lead to gynecomastia, which is the enlargement of your breast tissue. 

Sexual health

Your testosterone hormones are reproductive hormones, so your sexual health is in the direct line of fire when your levels fall. Not only can lower testosterone levels lead to a decrease in libido, it can also lead to erectile dysfunction (ED), which is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection long enough for intercourse.

Testosterone isn’t directly responsible for your erections, but the hormone plays a vital role because it signals your brain to produce nitric oxide. This chemical reaction is necessary as it causes the muscles in your penis to relax to allow blood to flow in, which is what creates an erection.

Fatigue

Fatigue is another common complaint among men who have lower-than-normal testosterone levels. The fatigue may be a direct result of the lack of testosterone, but it can also develop because of the loss of muscle mass. When we say fatigue, we’re also referring to a decrease in energy levels.

Bone loss

Just as women are more prone to losing bone mass and developing osteoporosis when their estrogen levels fall, men experience the same effect when there’s a testosterone deficiency. Testosterone oversees bone health by encouraging bone production and bone strength.

Mental health and lack of focus

These symptoms of low T are harder to pin down, since you may find yourself more moody and irritable as a result of the other symptoms. That said, testosterone does influence the function of your brain, and if you find yourself increasingly less able to focus or remember things, or you’re uncharacteristically moody, low T may be to blame.

The best way to find out whether low T is at the root of your problems is to come in and have us thoroughly evaluate your hormone levels. If we find a deficiency, we turn to bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which is the most effective way to restore your quality of life and overall wellness.

To learn more about the effects of a testosterone deficiency or to have your testosterone levels tested, please contact our office in Centennial, Colorado, at 720-370-2073 or use our online booking tool to set up an appointment.