Men naturally lose testosterone as they age — about 1% a year, starting after age 30. This gradual decline is perfectly natural and typically doesn’t lead to a clinically significant testosterone deficiency until much later in life.
Yet scores of men are being diagnosed with low testosterone (low T), even in their younger years. To wit, the prevalence of testosterone deficiency (TD) among adult men of all ages ranges from 10% to 40%. The prevalence of TD in men ages 15-39 is a surprising 20%.
Whatever your age, the good news is that we can help if your testosterone levels are low. At No Mercy Sports Medicine, Dr. Moisés Irizarry-Román and our team specialize in men’s health issues like low T, and we’ve had great success with hormone replacement therapy to alleviate symptoms.
Before we embark on hormone replacement, we first measure the amount of testosterone that’s in your system through a blood test. Normally, men should have testosterone levels between 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). If your testosterone dips below 300 ng/dL, it qualifies as low T.
With side effects that range from fatigue to low libido, low T can certainly impact your life in major ways. If you have low T, our goal is to help bring your hormone levels back up to help restore your quality of life.
Hormone replacement therapies come in several different formats, including:
Choosing which hormone replacement option is best for you is really a personal decision — you want a delivery method that works best for your lifestyle. Dr. Irizarry-Román can answer your questions and help you decide.
In addition to our hormone replacement therapy, which we tailor to your specific needs, you can make some lifestyle changes to encourage testosterone production.
The big one is losing weight. Researchers believe that the spike in low T in younger populations is due to higher body mass indexes. Exercise and eating healthier foods can bring your weight in line and also play a role in raising your testosterone levels.
There’s also some speculation that high levels of stress can suppress testosterone levels in favor of cortisol (stress) hormones. Finding ways to reduce stress might be able to help raise testosterone levels, and it can also benefit other areas of your physical and mental health.
Between hormone replacement therapy and some lifestyle adjustments, we’re confident that we can get you back on better hormone footing. To find out which approach is best for your low testosterone, please contact No Mercy Sports Medicine today by calling our office in Miami, Florida, at 305-614-6757.
