Tests and Treatment for Low Testosterone

Tests for Testosterone Levels

If you are having the symptoms of low testosterone, talk to your doctor. You can get your testosterone level tested. It's a simple blood test. Get the test in the morning, when the testes release more testosterone. Because a normal level of testerosterone is different for each man, it may be hard to know if you have low testorsterone--it helps if you had a testosterone test earlier in your life, so you'll be able to see any change. If you do have low testosterone, think about visiting a specialized doctor, like an endocrinologist or urologist, who can work with you to treat this problem.

Treatment for Low Testosterone

We don't know if testosterone therapy is safe.

The use of testosterone therapy is getting increasingly popular. But there are many things about this treatment that we don't yet know:

• We don't know if testosterone therapy relieves symptoms of men with low testosterone.

• We don't know how low testosterone levels affect men's health.

• We don't know if testosterone therapy increases the risk of prostate cancer.

• We don't know if testosterone therapy is safe.

Testosterone replacement therapy is an option for men whose natural testosterone level is not within the normal range. Talk to your doctor to find out if testosterone therapy is the right treatment for you. TRT comes in these forms:

Skin Patch . Applied daily to the upper arm, back, thigh, scrotum, or abdomen. It's easy to use, and you maintain a balanced amount of testosterone in your body. Your skin could get irritated from the patch. In some men, the testosterone doesn't get absorbed well through the skin.

Injections (shots). Injections are given either every week or every two to three weeks. The cost is low. You will need to visit your doctor for injections. With injections, your symptoms of low testosterone may fluctuate because it creates abnormal highs and lows in hormone levels.

Testosterone Buccal System . You place a tablet in the upper gum area of the mouth. It sticks to your gum or cheek. It stays in place for 12 hours and releases testosterone into your body. The tablet can fall off and shouldn't be chewed or swallowed.

Gel . Applied daily to the skin on the shoulders, upper arms, and abdomen. It's easy to use, and you maintain a balanced amount of testosterone in your body. In some men, the testosterone doesn't get absorbed well through the skin.

Oral preparations of testosterone . This is rarely prescribed because it can severely damage the liver.

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By www.4woman.gov