Testosterone Replacement Therapy For Ed
An overview of the Testosterone Replacement Therapy
Are you suspecting low testosterone levels in your body? Do you want to consider options that make you feel ‘normal’, vigorous, and energetic once again?
Keep reading then – this write-up has answers to all your questions!
Testosterone is the key hormone that plays an important role throughout a man’s life. It is that hormone that adds to your ‘masculinity’ by activating itself at puberty and consequently adding muscle mass, physical strength, and bone density to make you appear masculine and well-built. (So that you can easily flaunt them around!)
Testosterone is produced in the testes, and its levels keep on fluctuating throughout life. It is the most active during a man’s puberty period, that is, adulthood, and starts decreasing as a man starts to age, i.e. after 30 years.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy
The Testosterone Replacement Therapy is undoubtedly a life-saver for all men with abnormally low testosterone levels. The word ‘therapy’ may sound like there is a long course of injections or IV drips that you need to get for restoring the testosterone levels in your body; fortunately, this therapy is nothing like that!
Testosterone Replacement Therapy is given in various forms as per your preference and indications, that is, how badly you need this therapy to restore your levels to normal, or at least improve them from being critically low.
It includes options like:
- Topical Gel
- Transdermal Patch
- Oral Pills
- Injections Pellets
All of these options are enriched with testosterone and once applied/intaken, help in restoring the testosterone levels in a male.
It is the recommended treatment for erectile dysfunction as it also helps in reducing the symptoms caused by it and hypogonadism together. (that is the underproduction of testosterone in your body by the testes).
What are the benefits of this therapy?
Testosterone replacement therapy has several benefits for the men who take it. It helps them greatly in getting rid of the problems that they otherwise might feel embarrassed to share with anyone. Some of the major benefits experienced through this therapy include:
- Increased Libido
- Increased Energy
- Increased and Improved Quality of Life
- Improved Sexual Desire,
- Function, and Performance.
- Promotes a Sense Of Youth and Wellbeing.
However, it must be remembered that every individual experiences a different effect from this therapy. So, it shouldn’t be generalized that everyone will feel the same quality and gain the same kind of benefits from this therapy.
How do I know I am eligible for the Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
The best way to find the answer to this question is to consult your doctor. Do not hide anything about your condition from your doctor, no matter how embarrassing it might sound.
Your doctor will be able to assess your testosterone levels after some tests, and a detailed overview of your past medical and surgical histories, and would then suggest a treatment option that best suits you for covering up and fulfilling your testosterone needs!
Are there any risks or harmful effects associated with this therapy?
If your therapy extends for a brief period, let’s say, for 3-4 months, then it is highly unlikely that you would experience any side effects from this therapy.
In men who are older or have a pre-existing comorbid condition like Diabetes or Hypertension, then all measures must be taken to ensure that their conditions are controlled.
Some risk factors that arise when testosterone replacement therapy is taken for a long time
- Increased Red Blood Cell Count, Giving Rise to Blood Clots
- Acne
- Breast Enlargement
- Stimulating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (to take a turn for the worse)
- Accelerating the Growth of a Pre-existing Prostate Cancer
- Sleep
For these particular reasons, regular blood tests are performed during the entire length of the therapy.
The Decreasing Testosterone Levels
The decreasing testosterone levels are considered to be a normal ‘aging’ process. But, these levels could get critically low in some men who have some underlying disease process that has never been addressed. Such decreasing levels can result in physical manifestations that could negatively impact your health and produce undesirable results on the body. Some undesirable effects of low testosterone levels are:
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Low Sexual Desires
- Decreased Mood and Libido
- Sleep Disturbances
- Increased Fat: causing you to become chubby
However, several treatment modalities have been introduced to address such problems. These modalities have different indications, but the purpose of all of them is the same i.e. to increase testosterone levels in the body and bring them close to normal so that they do not interfere with the normal functioning of life. In the preceding sections, we shall discuss one such treatment therapies: Testosterone Replacement Therapy.
