Day after day, you’re feeling the constant pressures of life and a lack of energy to get through the day. You work long hours and you’re looking for that boost to spark your stamina.
You could be experiencing low levels of testosterone and you’re not alone. Millions of men have started testosterone treatment therapy in order to help their energy, mood, and sex drive.
On the other hand, you may have been attempting to conceive with your partner for a while and are considering if your testosterone levels are affecting your fertility.
We’re here to shed light on some of the very important facts about testosterone and fertility. Once you have a better understanding then you can take the steps forward to improving your life.
Testosterone and Fertility
So why testosterone replacement therapy? Well, it can boost your sex drive, mood, and energy, and get you back to a place of feeling strong and like yourself again. It’s also a super important hormone for muscle growth, hair growth, and is essential for sperm production.
When your testosterone levels are low, this can interfere greatly with your libido (sexual desire), sexual functioning, and overall energy levels. If you have a low testosterone level, it’s becoming more and more common to be prescribed supplements to help with this.
However, the key fact here that you should know is that therapy and supplements aid those who already have low testosterone levels. Not those with normal levels.
Common Factors of Low Testosterone
If you are experiencing these specific symptoms, then there is a chance you are dealing with low testosterone levels. A lot of these factors are common in men who are older and can sometimes be a natural process of aging.
Low Sex Drive
The most prominent factor is a noticeably lowered sex drive since testosterone is the sex hormone. Although it’s normal for men’s sex drive to decrease after their teens and 20’s, it can have an effect on the mental health and overall satisfaction of life for men if lowered sex drive is impairs their sexual functioning.
Loss of Hair
Testosterone is what leads to body hair on a man’s face, arms, legs, back, and pubic area. If you notice a significant lack of this hair or are balding, there could be a chance that your testosterone levels are a lot lower than they used to be.
Loss of Muscle
Similar to the loss of hair, muscle mass is determinant upon healthy and abundant testosterone levels. So, no matter how often you work out at the gym or exercise, you might be finding difficulty in building your muscle. This could then also lead to weight gain. Low levels can create more fat deposits in the body.
Lack of Energy
Mental and physical fatigue is a prominent problem of lowered testosterone. It leads to imbalances in your life and difficulty with sleep.
Decreased Sperm Count
With lower levels of testosterone, men may experience a decrease in semen production. This is one of the most common problems of low testosterone. Men will find it more difficult to conceive with their partner when their fertility levels are low.
Mental Health
When hormones are out of balance, we can experience mood swings, stress, depression, and anxiety. Testosterone plays a big role in regulating these emotions. So, when your testosterone levels are low, you could be experiencing difficult emotions, such as feelings of depression and anxiety.
Enlarged Breast Tissue
Gynecomastia is the development of large breast tissue in men. This happens when the testosterone levels are lowered, while the estrogen levels become higher and lead to enlarged breasts. Although this commonly affects men, gynecomastia is treatable.
Who Needs Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
There could be many reasons as to why you’re struggling with low testosterone levels. Some more common reasons that can cause it to fluctuate throughout the day are stress, poor diet, alcohol, or excessive exercise.
Then, there are some more serious reasons as to why your testosterone levels are low including chronic diseases, radiation or chemotherapy, injury or disease of the testicles, injury to the hypothalamus (the part of the brain responsible for hormone production), and certain painkiller medications.
How Old Do You Need to Be for TRT?
Health professionals recommend you are treated if you are 30 years or older. This age range tends to experience more of the health concerns as a result of low levels.
Is It Safe?
With any treatment or procedure, there will always be side effects therefore it’s incredibly important you seek consultation to have a full understanding of your needs, why you want to do testosterone therapy, and if it will be effective in your life.
It’s then vital to be treated by licensed physicians who will monitor the treatment, making sure to reduce the chance of risks and side effects. In short, yes, it is safe if you work closely with your healthcare professionals and allow them to manage the treatment.
What If You’re Not Sure If You Need It?
It’s possible you have been feeling tired or low energy but are not sure if that’s a result of your workload or every day life stresses. It’s best to seek medical consultation so that you can check your blood levels to confirm if your testosterone levels are lower than average. Make sure to test your levels more than once before confirming.
According to scientific studies, many men misuse testosterone supplements by taking them when they have normal levels. It’s vital to remember that TRT is not an anti-aging treatment or a fountain of youth miracle. Doctors suggest that treatment or supplements should be taken only if the levels are low from any of the reasons stated above.
Most importantly, another misuse of testosterone replacement therapy is if you are trying to increase your fertility or, in other words, if you are wanting to be a father.
Testosterone Therapy Can Cause Infertility
More studies are showing that taking testosterone supplements can actually make you infertile so if you have plans to be a father, then taking testosterone therapy is not always the best choice.
Using testosterone supplements can cause infertility by affecting the hormones associated with your hypothalamus and pituitary gland. These hormones will quit but are confused and think there is still testosterone in the body. Your sperm hormone decreases which overall lowers sperm production.
Simply put, replacement therapy can help your sex drive but can also decrease your fertility.
The Solution
You are able to regain your fertility levels if you stop treatment therapy. But, keep in mind, it could take several months before your fertility levels rise and there still could be a permanent loss of sperm production. The lack of sperm count means a lower chance of being a father.
Some doctors take their patients off therapy and have begun giving them other types of supplements that will help the body produce its own testosterone.
However, you could wait to take therapy after you have fathered the children you want or you can also freeze your sperm for future use before taking on testosterone treatment.
The Benefits
If you have no plans to be fertile or have already fathered the children you want, then testosterone therapy can be a great way to boost your energy levels and improve your sex drive.
It’s important to note that as men age, their testosterone does naturally drop so it’s common to experience muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, sleep issues, and erectile dysfunction. Replacement therapy can help with all of these problems.
Potential Diabetes Treatment
Researchers have also worked to find a solution to the negative cycle of men who have diabetes, low testosterone, and obesity. Because men with low T levels tend to be more susceptible to diseases, testosterone replacement therapy can be a significant solution to men needing to treat their Type 2 Diabetes.
Instead of solely relying on physical actions, it might be more effective to improve the hormonal balance with TRT right away so that obesity and diabetes becomes less of a risk later on.
Where Can You Get TRT?
Depending on your preference, there are many ways you can get testosterone therapy. Some methods require it to be taken daily while others only need to be taken once a month. The different methods include an injection, gel, patch, oral medications, topical creams or injectable pellets.
It’s best if you discuss with your doctor the most effective method for your personal needs.
Cost
Now, you might be wondering if you would be even able to afford extensive treatments. Luckily, most health insurance providers will cover the cost of testosterone treatments, so long as you can provide reasons such as medical conditions or a diagnosis from a health physician.
Of course, it can still vary from provider to provider. So, consult with your health insurance provider about your specific health plan and needs to get an exact estimate.
Naturally Boosting Fertility
If you are looking for a more natural approach to boosting testosterone, there are several ways you can boost fertility naturally.
Diet
You can incorporate certain foods into your diet that can help with low levels. Vitamin D, known to be very important to testosterone levels, is found in foods like fish, mushrooms, and cereals.
Also, look for foods rich in zinc and protein as these can boost testosterone while avoiding foods that will increase estrogens such as soda, white bread, and oatmeal.
Lose Weight
Obesity can affect your hormone levels and decrease sperm production. An excess of fat can result in an excess of the estrogen hormone (present in the fat tissue) which would lower your testosterone. So losing a few pounds could be a productive approach.
Quit Smoking
A study by Urology Annals found that men who visited infertility clinics and were frequent smokers had lower levels of testosterone. So if you smoke, this could be having a negative effect.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Excessive alcohol consumption is a huge factor in decreasing hormone production as it disables the LH and FSH hormones that are needed for testosterone.
Avoid Drug Use
Similar to alcohol, certain drugs can inhibit sperm production such as narcotics and even marijuana.
Exercise Regularly
Exercising will allow you to lose weight and also lower your stress levels while helping you build body strength. Try out a routine that will be most effective for you so that you can continue it on a consistent basis.
Sleep Well
Getting enough sleep is very important for keeping your testosterone levels in balance. When you’re asleep, your testosterone levels will rise and increase in production during REM sleep. If you are unable to sleep regularly, this could cause sleep apnea which then leads to hormonal imbalances. Lack of sleep also raises stress levels which can also cause testosterone levels to decrease.
Try to keep a consistent sleep schedule and aim for 8-9 hours of sleep every night.
Deciding If TRT Is Right for You
Before taking any kind of therapy or treatment it’s important to know the full scope of facts behind the process like the connection between testosterone and fertility.
If you’re seriously considering replacement therapy if you are tired of having a low sex drive, energy levels, or even if you want to increase your athletic fitness than we recommend having a consultation with a medical professional. You can also check out the rest of our website to learn more about TRT and if it’s right for you, or contact us if you have any questions.
