How Hormones Affect Men’s Health

October 19, 2022

Hormones are essential elements in our overall body functioning. In men, hormones control bone mass, sex drive, muscle mass and strength, and the formation of sperm and red blood cells. Therefore, deficiency or excess hormones in our bodies may alter our general body performance.

This post will focus on how Low HGH hormone levels affect men’s health. Read on!

What Are The Key Male Hormones?

There are four main hormones responsible for the male reproductive system. These hormones include the luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, and thyroid-stimulating hormone. Each of these hormones plays a unique role in men’s health.

Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary male hormone. It facilitates your general sexual and reproductive function. Also, it is essential for significant physical changes that occur during sexual maturity, including the growth of the penis, body and facial hair, testicles, and muscles. Testosterone also contributes to overall health by facilitating the growth of bones and affecting our sex drive and mood. However, some testosterone converts into the female sex hormone, estrogen, which is essential for the development of bones.

How Does Testosterone Affect Men’s Health?

Since testosterone plays an integral role in men’s health, Low HGH levels of this hormone will affect your general body performance. Typically, it will affect bone mass, muscle mass, fat distribution, libido, and sperm count. Let us see how each one affects your overall body performance:

Effects Of Low Testosterone On Men’s Health

A man may experience reduced production of testosterone at 30 years and above. On the other hand, females may also have reduced testosterone production during menopause. According to hghformen.clinic low levels of growth hormone lead to:

Reduced Bone Mass: Testosterone is helpful in the production of bone tissues and in maintaining the volume of bones. Thus, low testosterone levels can result in diminished bone volume, increasing the susceptibility to fractures.

Reduced Muscle Mass: Testosterone dramatically contributes to the growth of bone mass, and deficiency of this hormone can result in a significant loss of muscle mass. However, according to 2016 research, low testosterone levels decrease muscles’ mass and volume without diminishing their strength.

Lower Sex Drive: You may experience a lower sex drive with low testosterone levels. This may occur due to age, where you will have a reduced desire for sex.

Increased Body Fat: Low testosterone levels can increase body fat. At other times, victims can suffer from gynecomastia, which leads to the growth of breasts.

Hair Loss: Low testosterone levels can also lead to hair loss. According to a 2012 study, using testosterone implants in women promoted hair growth.

Effects Of High Testosterone On Men’s Health

Excess levels of testosterone are not a common issue among men. However, you may quickly note a few cases of high testosterone levels due to varying blood levels, especially during the day. Also, male athletes using testosterone-related hormones and anabolic steroids may have high testosterone levels, resulting in increased athletic performance and muscle mass.

Nonetheless, you can note the following common problems among men with high testosterone levels:

  • Liver illness
  • Impotence, low sperm count, and shrinking testicles
  • Damage of heart muscles and higher risk of heart attack
  • Acne
  • Insomnia
  • Swollen legs and feet with retained fluid
  • High cholesterol and blood pressure
  • Increased muscle mass
  • Headaches
  • High risk of blood clots
  • Frail growth among adolescents
  • Unpredictable, aggressive behavior
  • Euphoria, mood swings, impaired judgment, irritability, and delusions.

Ladies may experience high testosterone levels due to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a disease affecting about 6% to 10% of women at perimenopause. Women with high testosterone may experience multiple cysts, irregular periods, excess facial hair loss, reduced fertility, weight gain, male-like baldness, thick skin, anxiety, and depression. Fortunately, you can easily manage these problems with spironolactone.

Other Hormones

In addition to testosterone, other hormones affect men’s health. Here is an overview of some of them:

  • Insulin Hormone

Insulin is a sugar-regulating hormone in your body that controls the energy levels in your body depending on food intake. Typically, your blood sugar increases after a meal, which is the required energy for our blood cells to function normally. However, this blood sugar cannot get into the blood cells on its own — your body needs insulin for blood sugar to move into the blood cells.

You can become insulin resistant due to various factors, including age, genetics, diet, and excess body weight. At this point, your body cells will not respond to insulin, limiting the entry of blood sugar into your blood cells. Further, this can lead to increased chances of heart disease, diabetes, and excess body weight. Fortunately, you can easily control insulin resistance by regular intake of whole foods and moderate physical exercise.

  • Ghrelin and Leptin Hormone (“Hunger Hormones”)

These hormones play a significant role in controlling your appetite. Generally, an increase in the leptin hormone in your body will lower your appetite, while an increase in leptin will increase your appetite. Obese people are leptin-resistant, and low leptin levels can lead to overeating.

  • Thyroid Hormones

Thyroid hormones are responsible for controlling metabolism in your body. Low thyroid levels in your body can result in reduced muscle mass, weight gain, and fatigue. Luckily, you can easily control this by adhering to thyroid hormone medication.

On the other hand, you will need a medical treatment if you have a high thyroid level in your body. The most common signs you can note for high thyroid include loss of muscle and bone, weight loss, tremors, and excessive sweating.

Conclusion

There are various hormones in our bodies, each with a unique role. Excess and low levels of these hormones can lead to abnormal body functioning and illnesses. Therefore, you should always observe common signs and symptoms of unwanted hormone levels and seek the possible treatment option.

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Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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