Hormone imbalance in men: The 5 ways to spot low testosterone

Chris Evans discusses the amount of testosterone he has

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When it comes to hormone imbalance, we only really discuss female hormones wreaking havoc on the body. That’s probably because women’s hormones fluctuate throughout the month due to the menstrual cycle and they change even more as women age. But, what about male hormones? Their testosterone levels drop with age but earlier imbalance could be caused by a number of different habits or circumstances. Express.co.uk chatted to Bertie Stringer, Head of Nutrition at men’s hormonal health company Dynamic Nutrition Academy and Mike Kocsis, Director of Healthcare at Balance My Hormones to find out how to spot hormone imbalance in men, specifically low testosterone.

Hormone imbalance in men

Never thought about your hormones? Well, if you’re more than 19 years old and male, your testosterone levels are already dropping.

Mr Stringer said: “Low-T/TD describes the decline of the primary male hormone testosterone.

“Peaking at 19, levels should remain healthy in their twenties declining with age and is usually noticed from late thirties to early forties.”

Low Testosterone and TD are different things, TD is Testosterone Deficiency and it’s thought that around two in 100 men suffer from this syndrome.

Half of men aged over 80 have TD, 30 percent of overweight men have Low-T and 25 percent of diabetic men also have Low-T.

Mr Stringer added: “However, many men ignore the symptoms and just pass them off as signs of ageing not realising how important it is to address.”

Low Testosterone levels are particularly common in men with stressful jobs or in men who lead unhealthy lifestyles, according to Mr Stringer.

He said: “These things are known to negatively impact testosterone levels.”

According to research, men’s testosterone levels have dropped at least 20 percent in the last 20 years with more and more younger men suffering the effects of low testosterone.

Mr Stringer added: “Rising obesity levels and external toxins are wreaking havoc on men’s testosterone levels and causing symptoms to present themselves earlier than in our parents’ generation.”

How to tell if you have Low T or TD

Testosterone, the primary hormone in men, impacts mood, sex drive, weight, mental health, bone health, and stamina to name a few functions and low levels are implicated in serious illness, impacting men’s wellness and lifespan, Mr Stringer explained.

The expert noted: ”When testosterone levels drop significantly, this can result in men presenting with some specific symptoms.”

Look out for the following symptoms as signs of Low-T or TD:

• reduced sex drive
• erectile dysfunction (loss of morning erections is often the first sign)
• low sperm count
• enlarged breast tissue (this is due to oestrogen imbalance – particularly common over the age of 40 when andropause – the male menopause – occurs)
• loss of body hair
• loss of muscle bulk
• loss of strength
• weight gain (leads to further loss of testosterone)
• depression and moodiness (low T is often misdiagnosed as depression)
• frequent urination
• lack of energy

If you think you’ve got TD, you can find out through a blood test and find a suitable treatment with your doctor, Mike Kocsis, Director of Healthcare at Balance My Hormones said.

The expert added: “Not every man with the condition will be suitable for TRT treatment but for those who are, injections, creams and gels as prescribed by a doctor or hormone specialist can be very effective and fast-acting.

“Testosterone Replacement Therapy or TRT can help in several ways such as increasing libido and muscle mass, a higher degree of mental clarity and improved sleep.”

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