Testosterone levels in men can decrease naturally with age, but medical conditions such as cancer, chronic kidney failure, and testicular infections can also cause low levels. Injury, cancer treatments, genetic abnormalities, and birth defects can also contribute to testosterone deficiency.
Decreased testosterone in men can be a natural occurrence or the result of medical problems. Testosterone levels naturally decrease as a man ages, increasing after the age of 50. Medical conditions linked to low testosterone include testicular infections, cancer, and chronic kidney failure.
The aging process is a natural cause of decreased testosterone in men. Levels of the hormone begin to decline around age 30 and continue to decline throughout a man’s life. After age 50 testosterone levels drop rapidly, and although low testosterone levels are common in older men, relatively few receive treatment for the problem.
One of the most basic causes of decreased testosterone in men is injury, infection, or testicular loss. The source of most male testosterone is the testicles, and significant injury can cause the organs to produce insufficient amounts of the hormone. Absence of testicles and testicular infections caused by bacteria or disease, such as mumps, can also prevent adequate testosterone from being produced.
Cancer treatments are another major cause of low testosterone levels. Both radiation and chemotherapy can cause a decrease in testosterone in men. Some drugs and treatments used to treat specific types of cancer can have similar effects, including hormone treatments used to treat prostate cancer. Corticosteroids, a steroid used to treat brain tumors and many other ailments, can also lower testosterone.
In some cases, the cancer itself causes the problem. The pituitary gland produces hormones that control the function of a number of organs, including the testicles, and pituitary tumors can lead to dysfunction of the gland. Faulty signals sent from the pituitary gland to the testicles often result in low testosterone levels.
Other medical conditions can also cause testosterone deficiency in men. Hemochromatosis causes the body to absorb and retain too much iron, and the latter stages of the disease have been associated with testicular atrophy. Inflammatory diseases, kidney failure, and chronic illnesses can also lower testosterone levels.
Genetic abnormalities and birth defects can also cause a decrease in testosterone in men. Cryptorchidism is the inability of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum before birth, and if they don’t descend naturally or through surgery, testosterone production may decrease. Even if corrective surgery takes place in the first months of life, some patients may experience problems with testosterone production and infertility in adulthood. Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic abnormality in which men have an extra X chromosome. One symptom of the syndrome is the development of small testicles, which could cause low testosterone levels.
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