How much do you know about the word Low T? Short for low testosterone, it is the leading cause of a condition known as andropause in men. If you’re a man over the age of 35, knowing how low testosterone can affect you is critical and a key to unlocking the negative effects of aging.

A Menopause for Men?

It is common knowledge that women have a menopause. Typically around age 40, the shift in hormones in women causes menopause to begin. Only in recent years has significant resources been dedicated to how hormone levels impact the aging process in men. Today it is not yet common knowledge that men also experience a menopause. Officially called andropause, it is triggered by Low T (low testosterone) levels, which start to decline in a male’s late twenties and are noticeable by his mid thirties.

Self Check for Low T Symptoms:

Hormone levels and a decline in testosterone will affect each man differently. Below are Low T symptoms for you to consider in a self analysis. While each of these symptoms can easily be treated as an individual medical issue, when it comes to aging in men, there is often a common linkage to low testosterone levels and the below symptoms.

• Decreased mental quickness

• Feeling tired (decreased energy)

• Decreased sex drive (including desire to have sex, or achieve an erection))

• Decrease in muscle tone, increase in body fat (in particular around the mid section)

• Mild to moderate irritability

• Depression, or a decreased desired for daily activities

• Night sweats or trouble sleeping through the night

When a man looks into a treatment program to restore his testosterone levels, the most common reason observed for why he is pursuing treatment is that he "just wants to feel like himself again." Too often the above symptoms are misdiagnosed by a man’s primary care physician.

• Sex Drive and Low T: If you can achieve an erection (naturally, or with ED medication), but do not have the desire to have sex (male libido), then it may be Low T affecting you.

ED Pills and Depression Medications:

Like many men, it is likely you have a long standing relationship with your doctor. Picture the family doctor, or a doctor of internal medicine as a generalist. Describe some of the symptoms above and your doctor might send you home with a prescription for ED pills and a medication to relieve depression or anxiety, instead of referring you to have your hormone levels checked.

No one avoids declines in hormone levels and Andropause will eventually occur in every male through the natural aging process. Recognizing the decline in hormone levels and the repercussions of such declines is only recently in the last decade been getting the attention it deserves. Fortunately there have been advancements in ways to counter declining hormone levels in men. For those men that suspect their testosterone levels are low, it might be time to get diagnosed.

Next Steps - Get Diagnosed:

If you suspect you have low testosterone (Low T symptoms), the next step is to get diagnosed. Look to discuss this topic the next time you visit your primary care physician, or consider contacting a male hormone replacement doctor that specializes in low testosterone and treating andropause symptoms. Remember, no man can avoid declines in hormones, but with proper treatment he can wind back the clock, get his mojo back and feel like the man he used to be.