When you discuss testosterone in any male circle, the first thoughts that typically come to mind are how it impacts your sex drive. Most men know that low testosterone levels can lead to reduced libido, difficulty maintaining an erection and even other changes to the male genitals. What they don’t know is that there are plenty of other symptoms of low testosterone that they may not have realized were related.
These symptoms can impact relationships, careers, and even how you feel each and every day. It’s important to get a simple testosterone test if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms on a regular basis. Men who are experiencing lower testosterone levels will feel much better if they get help increasing those numbers.
Difficulty Focusing
Whether you can’t seem to focus at work, at home, or when you’re driving in the car or doing one of your hobbies, lack of focus can cause significant problems for men. It makes it harder to complete projects on time, more challenging to help at home, and more difficult to give attention to your friends and family. Lack of focus feels frustrating and those emotions can be hard to manage. When you’re expected to constantly perform at work, this can be especially difficult.
Constant Exhaustion
Do you feel like you could fall asleep anywhere and at any time of the day even if you slept for a full 8 hours? This is one of those symptoms of low testosterone that is often overlooked in men. Men who are tired all the time may just chalk it up to age or lifestyle factors. The truth is that it’s not normal to want to sleep all the time. While there are many medical conditions that can contribute to feeling sleepy, one of the most common causes of this in men is low testosterone.
Unexplained Weight Gain
Medical professionals seem to talk a lot about women and female hormones in relation to weight gain. Not as much outreach is done to men who may be experiencing something similar. If you haven’t changed your lifestyle, and you are generally eating the same things, you should not be gaining weight. If you find that your scale has started moving upwards drastically, it’s time to consider how your hormones are doing. When men have lower testosterone levels, they can be more prone to unexplained weight gain.
Sudden Mood Swings
While men don’t have the same ebbs and flows as women do in regard to hormones, it doesn’t mean that they can’t still experience similar mood swings. In fact, one of the often-overlooked markers of low testosterone is sudden mood swings.
This means that one minute you feel great and the next you could want to go hide somewhere to cry. Or one minute you could be laughing and the next you could be getting into an argument for no reason. Mood swings are frustrating and can impact not only your personal relationships but your professional ones as well.
Trouble Remembering Things
Where did you put your keys? What side of the building did you park on? What are your parents’ birthdays? When is your wedding anniversary? If you’re having trouble remembering things that you should be able to easily recall, it may not be early-onset dementia as many men often fear, instead, it could simply mean that your testosterone levels need a boost.
When men start to experience unsettling symptoms like memory loss, it’s easy to want to avoid doing anything about it. The fear is that it’ll be something really bad that can’t be helped. Some men can’t handle this possibility, so they suffer in silence. If you’re one of those men and you’re reading this blog, get your testosterone levels checked first.
Mental Health Challenges – Anxiety and depression
Too often mental health challenges are met with a prescription for an antidepressant or an anti-anxiety medication and you are sent on your merry way hoping that those drugs will help, or at least won’t harm you. Instead, more doctors are starting to recognize the role that vitamins, minerals, and even hormones play in mental health. If you haven’t had any recent losses or situations that would lead to anxiety or depression, it’s worth finding out what your testosterone levels look like. Even levels in the low range of normal can cause some men to experience anxiety or depression.
Challenges Gaining Muscle Mass
Men who work out frequently want to put on muscle as efficiently as possible. When this isn’t happening as expected, it can be frustrating, to say the least. While many men are quick to turn to supplements, protein powders, and other fixes, if their testosterone is low, they may not be able to make much progress.
For men who want to gain muscle, it’s important to have the right levels of testosterone. Conversely, men who don’t want to lose muscle also need to ensure their testosterone isn’t too low. If you’re struggling with sudden muscle loss or you can’t seem to put any on, look at your testosterone levels before you start tinkering with any supplements and workout routines.
Male Breast Formation
This one is a biggie. Men who start to form breasts, with or without additional weight gain are likely experiencing some testosterone challenges. While it’s natural to have a little fat pad behind your nipples, forming more breast tissue is out of the ordinary for men. While obesity and weight gain can accumulate in the chest, getting breasts that are larger than normal isn’t quite the same. Don’t panic, but make sure you check with your medical professional to get your testosterone and other hormone levels tested if you start getting breasts.
Final Thoughts on Low Testosterone
It’s clear that low testosterone affects more than a male’s sexual virility. Not only can men experience forgetfulness, mood swings, and mental health challenges, but they can also have trouble with keeping their muscle mass up and in their energy levels. Checking your testosterone and getting on the right supplements or medications can improve the quality of life for a man with lower testosterone levels.
