Sex hormone that controls male physical features is called testosterone. This main hormone which is produced by testicles are found in the women too, but in a significantly smaller amount than in men. The importance of the testosterone for boys and men are that this specific sex hormone turns every boy into a man in puberty.
If you want to have children, you need to have a normal sum of this sex hormone to produce sperm.
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How does testosterone work?
Production of testosterone is controlled in our base of the brain and pituitary gland. It is controlled by the testicles, and from that part of the body, the sex hormone moves through our blood.
The highest testosterone level is in the morning and the lowest level at night. Men from 20 to 30 years old have the highest levels of testosterone, and this sex hormone slowly goes down after age 30 to 35.
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Testosterone and your libido
Libido or sex drive is the desire for sexual activities, and testosterone and your libido are directly connected. When your libido is perfect, there is no need to worry about the level of your sex hormone.
What can go wrong with sex hormone levels?
This hormone has to be in balance to avoid health problems. Often problems with testosterone are that it become and stay too low, and another rare problem is when testosterone is too high. Your doctor can check your testosterone level if you have any of the symptoms further in the article. There is a treatment for fixing hormone problems.
Low testosterone
Signs of low testosterone:
- A drop in sex drive
- Poor erections
- Low sperm count
- Enlarged or tender breasts
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Problem with the low testosterone can result with decreased muscle and bone strength. Less energy and lower fertility. You can maintain normal testosterone levels with good diet and regular exercise.
High testosterone
If there is high testosterone in boys, their puberty start before age of 9. If they have certain tumors, this also can make much more testosterone than normal.
How do you know what your testosterone level is?
If you want to measure your testosterone level, you can do a blood test in the morning between 7.00 and 10.00 am. You need to repeat this test another morning to be sure of your results because testosterone level can change from day to day, from hour to hour. To be sure both of your tests need to be with normal levels.
Everything you need to know from your dictionary about this:
- androgen – a male sex hormone, such as testosterone.
- endocrinologist – a doctor who helps people with hormone`s
- hormone – a chemical made in a gland in a specific part of the body. The hormone passes through the blood.
- hypogonadism – a low testosterone level or sperm count, or both.
- sex hormone – this hormone is made in testicles and it is responsible for secondary sex characteristic, for example, facial hair.
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7 Questions to ask your doctor if you think you have the testosterone problem
- How much is my testosterone level?
- Do I need another blood test?
- Do I need treatment?
- How long will I need treatment?
- Does the treatment have side effects?
- How often should I have check-ups?
- Should I see an endocrinologist for my care?
