Andrology - male diseases >>>> Testosterone deficiency in men

Testosterone deficiency in men.

Testosterone belongs to the group of androgens - hormones responsible for the body's belonging to the male sex. Testosterone production is regulated by the hormonal activity of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus - hormones that affect the formation of Leyding cells in the testes - a source of testosterone. In the blood, testosterone is in active and inactive form (bound to globulins and albumin).

It is the amount of active testosterone that determines the formation of secondary sexual characteristics in men (hair growth on the face, the development of the male skeleton, the structure of bone tissue (its density), voice formation, sexual activity, the production of full-fledged spermatozoa).

Testosterone deficiency in men, which is not associated with age-related changes, significantly affects the quality of a man's life:

the level of active testosterone in the blood falls,
decreased interest in sex life,
intercourse becomes short-lived,
can end prematurely and without ejaculation,
the degree of hairiness on the face and in other places where the presence of hair is typical for the male body decreases,
the mammary glands begin to increase in size.

If androgen deficiency begins in early childhood (and this is possible under the condition of a genetic predisposition to low testosterone levels), then during puberty, boys begin to delay the growth of the genitals, establish sexual interest in individuals of the opposite sex, there is insufficient growth of hair on the body, the formation skeleton on a male basis. As a result, a man, in addition to psychological discomfort and an unsettled sexual life, becomes sterile.

Treatment of violations of testosterone production in men is carried out on the basis of a survey, visual examination and analysis of the level of testosterone hormone in the blood (especially in a free active state). Drug therapy involves hormone replacement - the use of testosterone in various pharmacological forms (patches, gels, injections, tablets) to increase the level of testosterone in the body.

Monitoring of treatment is carried out on the basis of blood tests for the level of the hormone. Treatment is usually successful. But, before using hormone replacement therapy, they are examined for the presence or absence of oncology in the area of the prostate gland. It has been observed that a lack of testosterone induces carcinogenesis, and hormone therapy is contraindicated in the presence of tumors in the body.