To diagnose low T, doctors find out what symptoms you’re experiencing (more on that in a minute). Welcome to Testosterone HQ—Men's Health's guide to the exciting, complicated, and revolutionary world of testosterone. To determine the cause of long-standing or recurring symptoms, consider scheduling an appointment with a primary physician or urologist. Even if you don’t have sleep apnea, low testosterone can still contribute to a decrease in the hours of sleep. It can disrupt your sleep pattern in the process and raise your risk for other complications, like strokes. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that causes your breathing to stop and start repeatedly while you sleep. Testosterone replacement therapy may contribute to or cause sleep apnea. Dysregulation of this feedback mechanism can lead to a variety of pathophysiological conditions, particularly testosterone deficiency; such disruptions may occur due to aging, disease processes, or lifestyle factors, underscoring the importance of accurate diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic interventions . An outline of the major hormonal changes that take place in men throughout their lives is given in this introduction, with special attention to testosterone's crucial role in controlling a wide range of physiological processes. Encourage seeking professional help rather than suffering in silence. Be patient with mood changes and decreased libido, understanding these are symptoms, not character flaws. However, testosterone replacement is not right for everyone. As part of your subscription and as medically indicated, physicians prescribe medications, and recommend supplements that are delivered to you from the comfort of your home. Here’s why men need A+ levels of the sunshine Vitamin. An overactive and underactive thyroid can lead to serious health issues—as well as problems downstairs. Also testosterone is known to stimulate growth of prostate cancer in men diagnosed with the condition. Men get started on testosterone replacement and they feel better, but then it's hard to come off of it. Marketers urge men to talk to their doctors if they have certain "possible signs" that mean they could need low-T treatment. By identifying limitations in existing studies and suggesting directions for future investigations, we hope to encourage the research community to pursue more robust and methodologically sound studies that will further strengthen the evidence base. It is also critical to comprehend how the Free Androgen Index (FAI), which is connected with bone density, is used; a low FAI indicates a higher likelihood of bone density loss . A higher level of evidence would be provided by a well-conducted RCT, improving the consistency and dependability of the results and providing a more thorough knowledge of the effects seen across studies, so we could find more evidence in the future. Research-backed tools, tactics, and techniques to maximize your health, delivered to your inbox every Monday. Dr. James R. Staheli is the Medical Director for Broad Health, Hone Health’s affiliated medical practice and a family medicine doctor in Atlanta, Georgia. Contact us at if you see an error.