As the age of a man increases there is a natural decline in their testosterone level. Testosterone is a strong androgen important for masculinity. The word testosterone is derived from the Greek word which means man-maker. The decline in testosterone is associated with various signs such as loss of body hair, body strength, libido, bone density, and fertility. The male hormone i.e. testosterone peaks during adolescence and early adulthood. The decline begins after the age of 30-40 years at the rate of 1% per year. Testosterone therapy is the solution to the low level of testosterone. Testosterone Therapy or Testosterone Replacement Therapy is the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for men. It is different from Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) as it does not involve the replacement of any hormone. The level of the already existing hormone is restored to its original, or near-to original, level to reverse the decline in sexual, behavioral, and emotional areas in men.
What are the types of Testosterone Therapy?
Oral Preparation
There are several oral preparations but all of them carry the risk of liver impairment. The Food and Drugs Authority approved an oral preparation which does not cause liver impairment. This preparation called Undecanoate absorbs in the lymph system.
Gel
Testosterone gels are applied on the skin of the arm, forearm, shoulder, abdomen, or thigh.
Injection Testosterone injections are intramuscular or subcutaneous injections injected two to three times per week. The improvement of symptoms depends upon the frequency of injections.
Patch
A testosterone patch is pasted on the skin of the back, thigh, arms, buttocks, abdomen or torso each night.
Implantable pellets
This is the surgical method. Every 6 months, surgeons incise the skin and incorporate the testosterone-containing pellets inside.
Nasal
A spray is used to deliver testosterone in the nose. The testosterone containing preparation is sprayed twice three times a day.
Why do men need Testosterone Therapy?
Testosterone Therapy, also called Androgen Therapy, helps reverse anti-aging and non-aging effects. Here is why men need Testosterone Therapy.
Low Level of Testosterone
It is true that testosterone declines with age which affects men a lot. At the same time, it is also true that many other conditions cause a drop in testosterone. Disorders of the testis, brain, pituitary gland, hypogonadism, stress, and chronic diseases like liver cirrhosis, cancer, and head injury cause low testosterone levels. According to the Food and Drug Authority, Testosterone Therapy is strictly for men with hypogonadism. However, this therapy is also used to relieve symptoms of age-associated low testosterone.
Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Low testosterone level is not the only cause of ED. In fact, in only 5% of the cases, low testosterone is the culprit. Testosterone Therapy can be given for ED only when there are other symptoms as well.
Physical Improvement
A drop is the testosterone level decreases the muscle bulk and strength. Only for the purpose of reference, do you athletes take heavy doses of testosterone and other bulk-building drugs to increase their muscle strength and mass? This is illegal since sports are meant to be fair. We can guess from this example that testosterone tends to increase muscle bulk and improve physical performance.
