As we age we start to lose mental abilities, and this seems to coincide with the loss of testosterone too. As a steroid hormone thought to influence both emotional and cognitive functions Optimal testosterone levels may help to protect you from symptoms of mild cognitive impairment; This is a condition where aspects of cognition are affected but don't severely affect daily life -- unlike dementia for example.

Many of today's health problems can be attributed to hormone imbalance. Hormones play a critical role in how we act, feel, and think. Whether you're trying to lose weight, avoid illness, or enhance cognitive focus, imbalanced hormones may be the first area you target.

Hormones play a big role in men's health, affecting your energy level, weight, mood, interest in sex, fertility and much more. How hormones affect the health of men, and women, too - changes as you age so it's important to stay informed.

To make an accurate diagnosis of low testosterone, symptoms or findings must accompany a blood draw showing a low testosterone level. This combination makes treatment worthwhile to pursue. Symptoms include decreased sexual desire and erectile dysfunction, changes in mood associated with fatigue, depression and anger and decreases in memory.

How Is Testosterone, a Steroid Hormone, Something that can be Prescribed? Because low testosterone is a recognized medical condition, your medical care provider can prescribe testosterone to you. You generally need to exhibit symptoms and have a total level of testosterone below 300 ng/dl or a free testosterone level below 9.0 ng/dl (for men). This is one of the main differences between steroid abuse and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) -- you don't begin TRT until you've been evaluated for symptoms and had your levels tested.

Our overall health is dependent on a balance of hormones, not just a single hormone. Currently, men with low androgen hormones can benefit from hormone replacement therapy. Men with imbalances in their levels of testosterone to estrogen and progesterone can also benefit hormone replacement.

Distinguishing symptoms of low testosterone from symptoms of some chronic illnesses can be difficult. Feeling tired, loss of interest in sex, difficulty maintaining an erection, lack of energy, and mood changes all may be signs of many different issues. That is why it is important to see a specialist.

Dr. Gary Bellman is a Board-Certified Urologist and specializes in Male Anti- Aging. He custom designs medically proven hormone treatment plans that can relieve your symptoms and help prevent the negative health consequences often associated with hormone imbalances.

Normal sexual intimacy is important for many couples to maintain a satisfying quality of life. This is especially true today, as our population ages and concerns over ED (erectile dysfuction) become more openly discussed in the media and at home. Men and women accept that sexual problems are more common and can be readily corrected.

If you have symptoms of andropause, the treatment team will check the levels of testosterone in your blood. If your testosterone levels are below the optimal level, you may be prescribed supplemental testosterone. This is typically administered as an intramuscular injection, once a week. The treatment team may also recommend supplemental Human Chorionic Gonadotropin to boost your body's own production of testosterone.

Tired? Irritable? Jeans snugger than they used to be? Symptoms like these may well be a symptom of testosterone deficiency--- And you're not alone. Many men suffer from a condition known as hypogonadism -- where the testes produce an unusually low level of testosterone, or dry up altogether.

We joke about men in their 20's and 30's and how testosterone drives them. Not just sexually either-- it fuels their energy, their strength, their drive. Testosterone is truly a whole-body hormone with highly complex and comprehensive roles in the body. This is true in women too but the amounts are much smaller.

Researchers have published many studies on the topic of how low testosterone is related to men's overall health; Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and high blood pressure have all been linked to testosterone deficiency. Low testosterone isn't known to cause these health problems, and replacing testosterone isn't the cure. Still, the associations between low testosterone and other medical conditions are interesting and worth a look.

These days, it's not always easy to follow a healthy diet. There are so many fast food and junk food options out there, a guy is tempted to just shrug, eat what he likes, and leave his health up to fate...

Hormone replacement therapy for men and women has come a long way in the last half-decade or so. One of the fastest growing areas in medicine today is the use of the testosterone therapy in men, particularly during the middle years -- for good reason. When performed correctly, testosterone treatment can have profound effects on mental, physical, and emotional health.

It's the little things that you do each day that add up to being healthy and fit. While we do what we can to be as health-conscious as we can, it is always a work in progress since there are many elements to a healthy lifestyle.

Cortisol is secreted by the adrenal gland, while testosterone is made in small amounts in this gland and in larger amounts in the gonads. The body produces more cortisol in response to stress. At the same time, it reduces testosterone production, dedicating energy to the production of cortisol so that enough will be available. Cortisol and testosterone levels tend to change together, a reflection of the interconnected systems in the body.

Finding a physician that knows how to properly diagnose and manage low testosterone safely and effectively is paramount. Many men suffer for years because their general doctors may dismiss the symptoms as simply something that happens as you age.

Identifying key low testosterone symptoms and following up with proper treatment can have profound effects on quality of life. This is mainly due to our mental, physical, and emotional health being highly dependent on adequate testosterone levels to function properly.

Libido is the desire to engage in sexual activity. About 5% of men have decreased libido, a condition that increases with age. It's common to lose interest in sex from time to time, and libido levels vary through life. It's also normal for your interest not to match your partners at times. However, low libido for a long period of time may cause concern for some people. Low libido can sometimes be an indicator of underlying health conditions

Men are often forgotten in the world of health when it comes to hormonal balance and the underlying factors that bring about ill health. Often they dismiss the signs of hormonal imbalances as just a natural part of aging. If you have any of the following symptoms, you may have a hormone problem:

The "mid-life crisis" that affects men in their 40's and 50's has never been well understood in medical terms. We now know that men go through hormonal changes in their middle years, just like women do. It's been termed "andropause", and it can be just as debilitating and emotionally challenging as menopause can be for women.

Local Los Angeles Anti Aging Expert is available for appointments or consultations.