Testosteroneis a hormone made by the bodies of both people assigned male at birth, and people assigned female at birth. Testosterone plays a role in puberty and fertility, as well as libido — or sexual desire. In people assigned male at birth, most testosterone is made in the testes. In people assigned female at birth, most testosterone is made in the ovaries.
People assigned male at birth have higher levels of testosterone than people assigned female at birth. Testosterone
您身体中的睾酮水平是不断变化的，以应对您的身体的需求。然而，您的身体中睾酮的整体水平也在整个一生中变化。
Typically, testosterone decreases as you age — particularly in people assigned male at birth. For some people, these levels can become too low and cause unwanted effects that have them looking for ways to increase their testosterone levels.
There may be certainlifestyle changes to help increase testosterone levels, like adding resistance exercise and losing weight.
研究表明阻力锻炼，例如提升重量与睾酮水平的临时增加有关。
Anolder 1999 studysuggests that testosterone increases after heavy resistance training are typically much higher in younger men than older men — and overall don’t appear to greatly increase your overall testosterone levels.
Exercise, especially心血管锻炼, can contribute to weight loss, which canhelp to increase levels of testosterone.
某些类型的草药补充剂声称是“睾酮助推器”。这些产品的制造商声称成分有助于增加睾酮水平。
However, there isn’t enough research to support their effectiveness, and these products
In fact, a
此外，这些产品不受美国食品和药物管理局的密切调节。你可能会发现更多natural stepsthat may help to boost your testosterone level.
Some foods may play a role in helping your body moderate your testosterone levels.
确保你得到足够的食物是丰富的zinc and vitamin Dmay help to keep your testosterone at a normal level.
A 2018 animal study, as well as an older
Testosterone replacement therapyis used to help treat people with abnormally low levels of testosterone.
Abnormally low levels of testosteronecan affectnormal body functions and may contribute to decreased muscle mass, a reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and mood changes like irritability and depression.
Testosterone replacement therapy involves taking prescribed testosterone medication in the form of pills, patches, and gel that you apply to your skin. Testosterone therapy can also come in the form of injections.
睾酮注射are one of the more common forms of testosterone replacement therapy. They are typically given by a doctor. You need them less frequently than other forms.
睾酮替代疗法有很多风险。如果您有睾酮替代疗法，您需要经常验血检查您的睾丸激素水平并监测潜在的副作用，包含：
- fluid retainment
- 粉刺
- 前列腺扩大
- reduced fertility
- sleep apnea
- 血块
- increased red blood cells
副作用可能根据您使用的睾酮疗法的类型而变化。
In order to know whether睾酮水平太低了，必须建立正常水平。这对临床医生来说是一项挑战。但是，根据一个press releasefrom the Endocrine Society in January 2017, results from arecent studyhave helped to define the normal ranges for testosterone levels in men:264–916 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). This range is for men between the ages of 19 years and 39 years who don’t have obesity.
Testosterone levels in people assigned male at birth
For some people, testosterone levels may become abnormally low.
Symptoms of abnormally low testosteronecan be bothersome and may impact your quality of life. These symptoms can include:
- decreased body hair
- decreased muscle mass
- low sex drive
- erectile dysfunction
- 乳腺组织的生长
如果您正在经历一种或多种这些症状，并且不相信他们由其他东西造成，请与您的医生交谈。如果您的医生认为您的症状与异常低的睾丸酮水平有关，它们可以测试您的水平。
A睾酮测试测量血液中睾酮的量。如果您的医生想要测试血液中的激素水平，它们很可能会为您的测试指定一天的时间。激素水平在早上是最高的，所以这项测试通常在早上上午7点到上午10点到上午10点进行。您的医生可能会多次测试您的水平。
Your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain drugs before your test, as they could affect your testosterone levels. It’s important to tell your doctor about all medications you’re taking, include both over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
睾酮家庭测试套件也可从公司等公司提供LetsGetChecked. They use your saliva to test your hormone levels. After taking the test, you’ll send your sample to a lab for testing.
Causes of low testosterone levelsinclude:
- aging
- delayed puberty
- 睾丸损伤（由创伤，酒精中毒或腮腺炎引起）
- 下丘脑疾病
- pituitary disease
- noncancerous pituitary tumor
- chemotherapy
许多遗传疾病也会影响睾酮水平，包括：
- Klinefelter syndrome
- Kallmann syndrome
- 肌霉营养不良
Testosterone plays an important role in people assigned female at birth. However, testosterone levels are naturally lower in these individuals than in people assigned male at birth.
Usually, low levels of testosterone in people assigned female at birth aren’t problematic. However, levels that are too high may cause unwanted symptoms. Theseinclude:
- irregular or absent menstrual periods
- infertility
- development of facial and body hair
- deepened voice
High testosterone levels in people assigned female at birth may be caused by:
- polycystic ovarian syndrome
- 先天性肾上腺皮质增生
- 卵巢癌或肿瘤
- 肾上腺肿瘤
根据美国泌尿理性协会，你应该see a healthcare professionalif you have any of the following symptoms of low testosterone, including:
- reduced sex drive
- 减少勃起功能
- fatigue
- reduced lean muscle mass
- 易怒
- symptoms of depression
Here are answers to the most common questions about low testosterone.
睾酮替代治疗对低睾酮的人有哪些潜在的益处？
Potential benefitsof testosterone therapy for people with low testosterone include:
- 增加性欲
- 改善性功能
- improved mood and wellbeing
- 增加肌肉质量
- increased bone density
Does testosterone replacement therapy work?
There isconflicting evidence关于男性睾丸激素therap的好处y for age-related declines in testosterone, according to a2017 clinical review.
Some
Testosterone therapy does appear to increase bone density in the lumbar spine in middle-aged men with testosterone deficiency.
It also consistently increases lean mass while decreasing fat mass, but the effect sizes are small.
Are there different adverse effects of testosterone replacement therapy for people assigned male at birth versus people assigned female at birth?
副作用of testosterone therapy can vary for people based on their sex assigned at birth. Adverse effects of testosterone replacement therapy in people assigned male at birth可能包括:
- 粉刺
- erythrocytosis (when you have more red blood cells than normal)
- growth of metastatic prostate cancer
- reduced sperm production
- increased risk of detecting subclinical prostate cancer
Adverse effects of testosterone therapy in people assigned female at birth可能包括:
- 粉刺
- extra hair growth
- weight gain
- fluid retention
- mood swings
- anger or hostility
In rare circumstances, adverse effects may include:
- voice deepening
- 秃头
- clitoral enlargement
Are there cardiovascular risks to testosterone therapy?
In a
Testosterone levels in people assigned male at birth decrease a little naturally with age. However, in some people, these levels can be too low and cause unwanted symptoms. Treatment is available, but it’s important for your doctor to confirm your low testosterone levels with one or more blood tests. Your doctor may also do other tests to help determine what’s causing your low testosterone.
For people assigned female at birth, levels of testosterone that are too high, rather than too low, are more concerning. Symptoms of high testosterone may be an indication of an underlying condition that needs to be treated.
