A testosterone treatment (TRT) is a medical treatment that helps men restore or recover their testosterone levels. Testosterone is a hormone found in the male body. The hormone helps them develop their masculine characteristics.
Male characteristics primarily include sex drive, muscle mass, body hair, sperm production, and bone density. When testosterone levels are inaccurate, these characteristics may take time to appear or may not appear at all. This condition is called hypogonadism, and for its treatment, TRT is used.
Let’s see the overall symptoms of hypogonadism and how TRT can benefit.
Symptoms of Male Hypogonadism
Hypogonadism is a condition in which the sex glands produce little to no hormone in the body. TRT helps in treating male hypogonadism and restores sperm and testosterone in men. Before we jump into TRT benefits, let’s look at the symptoms of hypogonadism that can help you figure out the situation.
In Babies and Adolescents
A baby can show the signs of male hypogonadism if he is born with female genitals, even with male genes. Some genitals would not appear in clear form and are called ambiguous genitals.
During the first 10 years of growth, the male body must show signs such as a change in voice, growth of the genitals, facial hair, and increased body mass. If nothing changes, then these are clear symptoms of male hypogonadism.
In some cases, the breast tissue grows instead, which is called gynecomastia. A boy may also have unreasonable growth in his arms and legs.
In Adults
The situation sometimes doesn’t appear during birth or adolescence, but later on, when you start experiencing changes in your feelings. Hypogonadism can make male lose their sex drives and reduce their energy, and cause depression.
Male also lose their ability to have children because of the loss of sperm. The condition keeps worsening and causes loss of body mass, difficulty during sex, loss of bone mass, and reduced facial and body hair growth.
In severe cases of Hypogonadism, a male can face hot flashes due to frequent emotional and mental changes.
Benefits of TRT
The symptoms we read above can be devastating and cause serious physical and mental health issues among men, so TRT helps them recover their sperm and physical health and appearance. The benefits of testosterone replacement treatment are:
- It improves the sex drive among men and solves the erection problem.
- TRT helps reduce fat mass and promotes greater muscle mass in men, which makes them look more physically manly and confident.
- Men’s bones become weaker with hypogonadism, but TRT can increase bone density and help prevent osteoporosis.
- Testosterone replacement treatment helps men dealing with their mood swings, which are caused by their hormonal imbalance and huge sperm loss. It clears their brain fog and fights against depressive symptoms.
How it’s done
There are various methods of TRT, but consult a doctor before getting one. Many doctors recommend gels or solutions applied to the shoulders, upper arms, and abdomen.
Injections are also available for treatment and are given every 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the patient’s condition. A hormone pellet is inserted under the skin every 4 to 6 months; it is rice-sized and dissolves in your body, releasing testosterone slowly.