Testosterone is a body hormone that is produced by both men and women wherein men it comes from the testicles and the ovaries for the women. This hormone is responsible for various body growths, for example, it is responsible for the growth of men’s masculinity as well as their male growth development. The hormone is said to help in several ways which include; the development of the body, increased sex drive, and mood, growth of facial and pubic hair, better muscles and bones as well as better verbal memory and sharp thinking ability,
Pros
1. Improved heart and blood health: The testosterone is responsible for the production of the red blood cells in the bone marrow. It further keeps the heart in a healthy state, which means that the body is being supplied with enough blood and the performance of the body organs are good. Individuals with low testosterone in the body can increase it and the health of their heart and blood will improve.
2. Increased muscle development: Individuals with less testosterone in the body consider a testosterone therapy where more is added to their bodies. Besides the testosterone therapy helps individuals to reduce fat in their bodies and increase the size of their muscles as well as their energy strength is boosted.
3. Strengthens bones: Testosterone levels in men decrease as they age which means that their bones get weaker with time. An increment of testosterone in their bodies, however, will boost their bone strengths which further improves their athletic performances.
4. Verbal memory improvement: Men who have aged have issues with memory loss. Undergoing testosterone treatment or rather an increment of the hormone in the body has been proved to increase ones thinking ability that is one can remember things easily and the rate of processing things becomes better.
5. Boost libido: The less amount of testosterone one possesses the lesser libido and this causes frustration especially to older men who want to be sexually active. An increment of the levels of testosterone increases men’s sexual activity. Besides, the elderly men get testosterone increased in their bodies to boost their libido as well as to improve their erectile function.
6. Mood improvement: Research has shown that increasing one’s testosterone levels may improve one’s mood although that varies with individuals. Undergoing a testosterone replacement therapy has proved to some men that their moods were increased and more to that, irritability and fatigue were reduced resulting in better well-being of the men in question.
7. Fights depression: People who suffer from depression especially in men are said to possess very little testosterone in their bodies. Increasing one’s testosterone levels through therapy may help them suffering from depression to fight it.
8. Decreases body fat: Testosterone in the body is responsible for insulin regulation, fat metabolism as well as glucose regulation. This function enables higher testosterone levels to decrease the amount of fat in one’s body. It is proven that obese people especially men have low testosterone levels and increasing them may help reduce their body fat and reducing obesity.
9. Improves cognitive ability: Older men have fewer levels of testosterone which makes them forget easily. Research has shown that increasing the testosterone levels of these elderly men, results in the prevention of brain tissue decay hence increasing their cognitive ability.
10. Decreases chances of Alzheimer’s disease: Low testosterone levels are prone to elderly men who are said to be in danger of getting Alzheimer’s disease. The disease strikes bodies with low testosterone hormones and therefore increasing the levels of elderly men may help them fight the disease as well as prevent others from acquiring it.
Cons
1. Reduced sperm count: The more testosterone one gets the lesser the follicle-stimulating hormone. This hormone is responsible for sperm production stimulation, therefore testosterone therapy may decrease sperm production to the level of infertility.
2. Increased risk of a heart attack: Research has shown that older men who often receive testosterone treatment have higher chances of cardiovascular-related conditions like heart attack and stroke.
3. Larger breasts: Older men increasing their testosterone levels have their breasts enlarged due to the estrogen from the testosterone. The hormone is responsible for turning some male hormones into female hormones
4. Increased blood clot risks: Testosterone is responsible for the production of red blood cells especially in the bones, this is dangerous especially when there is too much of them which may lead to blood clots. Blood clots are risky since incase they break loose, they may pass through one’s bloodstream which may result in the blockage of blood flow in the lungs.
5. Testicles shrinkage: Little or no testosterone in the body of a man especially the old may result in the loss of length of the penis and girth. As a result of these low levels, the testicles start to shrink.
6. Acne: Acne is a skin condition that involves clogging of the hair follicles with oil and dead skin oil. Testosterone is responsible for stimulating oil glands that produce oil that may clog the hair follicles.
7. Sleep apnea worsens: Sleep apnea is a sleep disease that is characterized by breathing which continuously stops and starts. High levels of testosterone or testosterone replacement may result in this disorder.
8. Loss of hair: Research has proved that both low and high testosterone can result in loss of hair. Testosterone messes up with the hair follicles which contributes to hair loss that they produce oil that may clog the hair follicles.
9. Loss of muscle mass: High levels of testosterone contribute to better muscle mass, low levels however contribute to loss of the muscle mass. Low levels are responsible for converting muscle to fat which decreases muscle mass.
10. Causes Osteoporosis in men: Osteoporosis is a condition whereby the skeletons of a person weaken and the bones break. Low levels of testosterone contribute to weakness in muscles hence weaken the bones and hence causes an increase in the risk of fracture.
In conclusion, it is fundamental for all individuals undergoing testosterone replacement therapy to understand their importance the kind of risks one has to endure after the therapy. It is evident however that high and low levels of testosterone have their share of good and bad effects on the people using them.
