Male hypogonadism Symptoms & causes

What ICD-10 covers testosterone? Hormone Wellness Center

LOH and low testosterone are more common in men who have Type 2 diabetes, overweight and/or obesity. Symptoms of low testosterone can vary considerably, particularly by age. Make a gift to our 2025 Drive to Cure Cancer and transform the way cancer is treated and defeated.

However, consistent hormone replacement therapy helps improve sex drive, ease symptoms of depression and increase energy levels for those experiencing low testosterone. Sometimes in primary hypogonadism testosterone levels are within the normal range and gonadotropins are high. Your specialist will help you understand if you need treatment, even with normal testosterone levels. Anyone taking testosterone replacement should have a medical checkup and blood tests several times during the first year of treatment and yearly after that. This is to see how well the treatment works and to watch for side effects.

For older adults who have low testosterone and symptoms of hypogonadism due to aging, it’s less clear how well testosterone replacement works. Causes of primary and secondary hypogonadism are also divided into either congenital (at birth) or acquired (developed later in childhood or adulthood). It stimulates the development of male characteristics and is essential for sperm production (spermatogenesis). Levels of testosterone are naturally much higher in men than women. There’s often no way to help men with primary hypogonadism make sperm. But there are ways to help couples who haven’t been able to have children.

LH then travels to your gonads (testicles or ovaries) and stimulates the production and release of testosterone. Your pituitary also releases follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) to cause sperm production. Risks from testosterone therapy are most often due to doses that are too high. Many of these side effects go away when the dose is lowered.

If you have signs and symptoms of low testosterone, a healthcare provider will perform a physical exam. They’ll also ask questions about your medical history, medications you take or have taken, smoking history and any symptoms you currently have. Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is a type of secondary male hypogonadism that results from normal aging. As males age they have a deterioration of hypothalamic-pituitary function and Leydig cell function that decrease testosterone and/or sperm production. However, some researchers and healthcare providers disagree with this and feel that levels below 250 ng/dL are low. Providers also take symptoms into consideration when diagnosing low testosterone. See your health care provider if you have symptoms of male hypogonadism.

Any issue with your testicles, hypothalamus or pituitary gland can cause low testosterone (male hypogonadism). Treatment of delayed puberty in boys depends on the cause. Three to six months of testosterone shots can help start puberty. The testosterone can help increase muscle mass, beard and pubic hair growth, and growth of the penis. This treatment is given only if the bones have matured enough. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved one oral testosterone replacement, testosterone undecanoate (Jatenzo, Tlando, Kyzatrex). The lymph system absorbs it, so it might not cause the liver problems seen with other oral forms of testosterone.

Testosterone taken by mouth, also called oral, isn’t often used for treatment of hypogonadism. Your hypothalamus and pituitary gland normally control the amount of testosterone your testicles produce and release. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. If a pituitary problem is the cause, pituitary hormones can be given to help the body make more sperm and restore fertility.

A pituitary tumor may need treatment with surgery, medicine, radiation or replacement of other hormones. Early detection in boys can help prevent problems from delayed puberty. Early diagnosis and treatment in men offer better protection against osteoporosis and other related conditions. Cleveland Clinic’s experts can help balance your hormones.

Primary hypogonadism happens when something is wrong with your testicles that doesn’t allow them to make normal levels of testosterone. Male hypogonadism is a medical condition that can affect people with testicles at any age from birth through adulthood. Your body usually tightly controls the levels of stopping testosterone injections in your blood. Levels are typically highest in the morning and decline through the day. Either type of hypogonadism can be caused by an inherited (congenital) trait or something that happens later in life (acquired), such as an injury or an infection. At times, primary and secondary hypogonadism occur together.

The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus are located within the brain and control hormone production. To make a diagnosis, a provider will consider your specific signs, symptoms and any blood test results. The complications of untreated hypogonadism differ depending on when it develops — during fetal development, puberty or adulthood. Hypogonadism can begin during fetal development, before puberty or during adulthood. If your child isn’t showing signs of puberty by the age of 14, talk to their pediatrician. The male reproductive system makes, stores and moves sperm. Fluid from the seminal vesicles and prostate gland combine with sperm to make semen.