Many men feel that changes in their mood or physical abilities are indicators that the days of getting older have finally arrived. What they dont know is that a lot of symptoms that seem like the effects of aging are actually signs of decreasing testosterone levels.

Men often have the misconception that low testosterone levels only show themselves through low libido or hair loss but those are just a couple of the complications of low testosterone.

Depression testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone that affects mood, energy, weight and sexual arousal. These are key factors that contribute to a persons well being and overall disposition. When testosterone levels in men drop, beginning as early as mid to late thirtys, depression is very common.

Men who begin to experience mild to severe mood swings, poor mental and physical performance or just a sour outlook on life are often showing signs of complications of low testosterone. While dealing with these issues many men have difficulty fulfilling their roles as father, lover and businessman.

Erectile dysfunction and Testosterone

Familiar complaints of many aging men are changes within their sexual relationships. There are definite parallels between erectile dysfunction and testosterone levels. Not being able to perform at all sexually or not being able to have the stamina of times before is one of the more common complications of low testosterone. Many men lose the desire they once had to engage in sexual activity and see a swift decline in their ability to connect sexually with their partners.

Closely related to sexual and erectile dysfunction is self image. Depression caused by low testosterone levels can contribute to weight gain thereby diminishing self image. Testosterone helps regulate fat distribution so when there are drops in amounts of testosterone fat is likely to begin collecting in certain areas. In many men this happens to occur in the abdomen area.

Muscle weakness develops and just an overall lack of energy settles in. Unwanted extra weight and the lack of energy to exercise to get rid of it pose a problem to many men with this condition.These things coupled with depression are the reason many men feel they have hit the dreaded midlife crisis.

Studies have shown that decreased levels of testosterone can attribute to the development of insulin resistance and that men who have diabetes have lower amounts of free and total testosterone than men without diabetes. New research has also shown that diabetic men with extremely low testosterone levels are more prone to develop atherosclerosis (artery hardening), which can lead to heart attacks.

With such serious complications of low testosterone it is a scary thought that approximately 13 million men in the U.S. have this problem but only a mere 10% receive treatment for it. That means that a friend, spouse, father, or uncle you know probably suffers with this silent nemesis and has no idea that they are symptomatic. If you are a man that feels that you are experiencing complications of low testosterone it is to your benefit to seek medical advice.