Everything you need to know about changes in male sex hormones
Sex hormones in men go up and down for a variety of reasons. These changes are normal most of the time. But sometimes with low blood testosterone, decreased libido, decreased bone strength and… a person should see a doctor. Because he has symptoms of andropause.
For some time now, you have felt that your libido has decreased, your bones and muscle strength have decreased, you have gained weight, insomnia and depression, and so on. These can be signs of andropause or menopause. But do not worry. For menopause, there are solutions to reduce its side effects, just like menopause.
Among the causes of menopause are increasing age and decreasing the level of testosterone in the body, which affects the physical and mental health of a person and its side effects appear from the age of 50 onwards.
Studies show that 7% of men 10 to 60 years old, 22% of men 60 to 80 years old and 36% of men 80 to 100 years old have testosterone deficiency.
In men, the hypothalamus and pituitary glands are responsible for controlling testosterone secretion. The hypothalamus secretes a hormone called GnRH to help the pituitary gland release a hormone called LH, which affects specific testicular cells (Leydig cells).
Signs of low testosterone in men are not very noticeable, because it is affected by auxiliary mechanisms such as the production of androgen hormones by the adrenal glands. When testosterone secretion decreases, the body converts some of the testosterone precursor to testosterone, but symptoms of decreased testosterone in the body can include headaches, decreased vision, short stature due to osteoporosis, and minor anemia. Cited.
Hormone جای Alternative therapy
Hormone replacement therapy has been around in the United States since 1990 and gained so much popularity that its prescription reached 170% between 1999 and 2002. Doctors usually inject testosterone intramuscularly or subcutaneously. In men whose body does not produce enough testosterone, taking this hormone can be beneficial and affect their muscle mass, morale and sleep, but injecting this hormone does not seem to have much effect on libido and physical strength. Have. It should be noted, however, that hormone replacement therapy in men can also be dangerous, and the physician should monitor the prostate and hemoglobin levels in the men being treated.
How can testosterone be prevented?
In addition to aging, many factors are involved in lowering testosterone; For example, endurance exercise, stress and depression can reduce testosterone secretion. Some research has also shown that men’s social status affects the amount of testosterone secreted in their bodies.
Sexual arousal also increases the amount of testosterone in the blood. Researchers have found that the effect of food on testosterone secretion is the same in vegetarians and carnivores, but that vegetarians have a higher secretion of a hormone called SHBG, which can reduce available testosterone. Interestingly, the secretion of testosterone in people living at high altitudes is much lower than the secretion of this hormone in coastal inhabitants.
Factors that reduce testosterone secretion
Stress
Stress has a detrimental effect on the function of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, which are the centers of testosterone control. Stress also lowers LH (the hormone that stimulates testosterone secretion in testicular cells) and reduces the overall secretion of this hormone in the body. Research by Japanese researchers on laboratory mice has shown that testosterone secretion decreases dramatically under severe stress.
Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep also affects the amount of testosterone secreted in the body. Research by researchers at the University of Chicago on 12 healthy men aged 64 to 74 years has shown that there is a direct relationship between sleep at night and testosterone secretion per day.
Diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Many studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, both of whom are obese or have high blood pressure, produce less testosterone than others. Between 20 and 64% of men with diabetes have low testosterone. This is especially true for older men.
Depression
Low blood testosterone can be due to depression. The researchers looked at 44 depressed men aged 40 to 65 and examined the blood of fasting people between 8 and 11 in the morning. The results showed that testosterone levels in people with depression are lower than in healthy people. Interestingly, testosterone consumption in young and old people eliminates depression.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption has a devastating effect on the glands that control and secrete testosterone such as the hypothalamus, internal pituitary gland and testicles and can reduce their sexual ability and infertility. Alcohol affects testicular Leydig cells, which secrete testosterone, and can reduce testosterone secretion, resulting in decreased libido.
آفتکشها
The chemicals in some pesticides can interfere with the secretion of hormones. Researchers at Harvard University have found that men who work with certain pesticides have lower blood testosterone levels than other men.
The researchers looked at the medical records of 286 men who went to the Massachusetts Infertility Center between 2000 and 2003 and found a close link between the presence of pesticides in the blood and low testosterone levels.