If you are suffering from one or more symptoms brought upon by low testosterone levels, such as low sex drive, low energy levels, and hair loss you might want to consider undergoing testosterone replacement therapy. It is a fairly straightforward treatment and there are plenty of ways that you can do it. You should, however, consult your doctor first as testosterone replacement therapy is not always for everyone. If you do qualify for treatment, this article will show the benefits and risks that you may want to weigh before finally going through with it.
As with most medical procedures, even the most routine ones can provide quite the unpredictable outcome. This is because almost everyone of us differs in one way or another in terms of body chemistry. However, many of those who do qualify for treatment and went on with the therapy report an improvement in their condition.
Benefits of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
After undergoing the testosterone replacement therapy, many ask about what they should expect. As was said, it can be quite different for everybody. Most however were able to feel positive changes in their body. They were observed to have increased levels of energy in their day to day activities. Their sex drive was also heightened as evidenced by the quality of erections they are now having. As added benefits, they also shown increases in terms of bone density and muscle mass. For the few who suffered from diabetes, they had a noticeable enhancement in their body’s sensitivity to insulin.
Another key factor that many have observed after undergoing testosterone replacement therapy is the improvement of their mood. It has been noted that lower testosterone levels can have a negative impact on a man’s brain chemistry. This results in a lower sense of well-being to some, and even cases of depression to others. After increasing their testosterone levels, most have exhibited a more positive outlook in life and have decreased episodes of irritability considerably. This benefit, however, may be the least least recurring one among those that underwent the therapy. This is because, not only do different bodies react differently to therapy, they themselves react differently to the changes brought upon by the therapy. For instance, an enhanced sex drive may be a boost for some but may be difficult for others to satisfy.
To put the benefits into numbers, researchers suggest that one out of ten men are more than happy with the results. While less than five of each fail to notice any improvements in their body. Majority still described a positive change in their body however and is a good sign moving forward as the therapy matures.
The Dangers of Testosterone Replacement Therapy
As promising as it may be, like all therapies of modern times, they do come with risks that you should carefully study before going through with it. The most apparent ones that can be immediately observed are physical side effects that some may consider to be minimal. For those who have induced the testosterone into their skin as most patients have, some have reported itching, rashes and irritations in the area where it was applied. There is nothing alarming about this however as it is most of the time just a minor allergic reaction to a foreign substance.
The more pressing concerns that have been observed from the patients after undergoing the therapy includes heart related ailments. The evidence suggests that undergoing the therapy increase the risk of heart failures. It is, however, observed that such a risk is only posed by older people who proceeded with the therapy which is against what most doctors are saying now. As men age, it is only natural that they exhibit lower testosterone levels. The heart failure may be due to the unnaturally high testosterone level, for their age, resulting from the therapy. It is thus of vital importance to take into account the normal testosterone levels at the age of the person before declaring that he may have deficiency in the hormone.
Because testosterone replacement therapy is a fairly new development in the medical field, there are still quite a lot of unknowns that are yet to be uncovered. The only way that this can be unearthed is by expanding trials of the field with the support of the medical community, the private organizations backing them and the state itself.
Conditions that should Refrain Men from Going Through with the Therapy
If you are considering going through with the therapy, you should first go through a list of conditions that have been observed to have adverse effects if combined with testosterone replacement. Here are the said conditions:
Congestive Heart Failure – As a precaution, men who suffer from congestive heart failure should not undergo testosterone replacement therapy. It has been observed that after undergoing the therapy, some men that do have the condition have aggravated it’s adverse effect.
Blood Clots – This condition have become fairly common among men nowadays. This condition is characterized by having veins blocked by blood clotting which degrade blood circulation and ultimately affects a person’s ability to respirate. Since the amount of red blood cells in a man’s blood stream is directly affected by his testosterone levels, it has been concluded,and observed in some cases, that such treatment could increase the likelihood of aggravating the said condition.
Sleep Apnea – Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by loud snoring due to the inability to breathe normally as one sleeps. Because the symptom often goes undetected, especially for those that sleep alone, it might be a good idea to check if you have this condition first before proceeding with the treatment.
Liver Failure – At its early stages, testosterone replacement therapy was performed orally by ingesting pills. It has been proven however that testosterone poses a danger to the liver which would be part of the route that the testosterone would take if it is ingested.
