Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Is it for you?
The lack of testosterone has a variety of effects of both men and women. Some of the common symptoms in men are weakness, fatigue, intimacy issues, loss of muscle and a greater likelihood of developing osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes or obesity. The lack of this important hormone also affects the mind and has been linked to depression and concentration problems. This shows how important it is to deal with low testosterone when it comes up. There is not good in waiting.
If you’re over 40, you should have your testosterone levels checked annually. You might mistake some of the signs of low testosterone as signs of aging. If you experience a low libido before 40, chances are you do have lower than normal testosterone levels. Some men have low levels because of the foods they eat, others are genetically prone to having low testosterone levels while others have pituitary gland conditions that hinder the regulation of hormones. One common treatment for low testosterone levels is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).
What is TRT?
The name itself is telling of what the process involves. A man or woman that severely lacks testosterone is administered a level of the hormone in different ways. Here are the various methods:
1. Patch: A patch that slowly delivers testosterone to the body is worn for 24 hour for a couple of weeks.
2. Gel: The testosterone gel is massaged onto parts of the body that will not come into contact with other people for at least 8 hours.
3. Injection: When levels are extremely low, injections are the fastest method of getting testosterone into the blood stream.
4. Implant: Implants are not as common but effective.
5. Pill: Taking pills is easy but not recommended if the deficiency of testosterone is very severe.
Side-effects of TRT:
Sadly, there are many possible side-effects for each of these methods of Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
• Testosterone injections infuse the body with such large amounts of the hormone that the body is thrown into an imbalance.
• Testosterone gels can be hazardous because of the inadvertent transfer of the gel between family members. Babies are at risk because men might not realized that they use the same hands that spread the gel to carry the baby. Many cases have been reported and preventive measures have been taken.
• All the TRT methods cause the body to be dependent upon external sources of testosterone instead of increasing the body’s natural ability to synthesize testosterone.
In spite of these side-effects, TRT is necessary and effective for the most part. There are other ways to boost your body’s testosterone synthesis naturally that should also be given a fair chance. Natural substances that help increase testosterone levels like extract of fenugreek seed is a perfect example. The supplement Ageless Male contains this extract and many men that have taken this supplement have experienced very positive results. You can read more about their stories in Ageless Male supplement reviews. Ask your doctor about alternatives to TRT and remember that since Ageless Male is natural, it has no side-effects and usually can be taken along with TRT.
