What do you know about Testosterone? Or even more so, how do you feel about it?
Women have been on oestrogen replacement for some 50 years now. Strange how it does not occur to men, even when they lose their sex drive, get continuously tired, or deeply depressed, or even when it’s obvious their wounds are healing slowly, that maybe something is missing – something that used to be there but is no longer.
Men tend not to go to the doctor’s. They don’t like being told what to do, they put up with pain, depression, weakness, and most don’t raise their hand for help until it’s too late. That’s the manly thing to do.
Oestrogen is the female hormone. On the other hand the male hormone, testosterone, has a bit of a bad rap. The general consensus is that it makes men aggressive or makes them take stupid chances. Well, partly right – if you’re talking about young men.
Aging men are a different story altogether. After 40, a man’s biological age starts to speed up and he ages faster than his chronological age. Take a look at men in their 30’s – they’re 30 something – almost impossible to accurately judge their exact age. But over 40 it starts to get easier, you’re not blind guessing anymore. The difference between a 42 year old and a 48 year old is obvious.
In fact, after 40 every year that passes can age you up to 6 months extra. Life may ‘begin at 40’ but also starts its ending at 40. That means when you turn 42, your body is essentially turning 43…if you keep this up, at 48 your body can be as old as 52. So we are dealing with an exponential equation. The pace of aging by the time you’re in your 60’s and 70’s is very fast.
Look at the difference between a 10 year old and a 20 year old person. It’s the beginning of their life so we readily accept that such radical change is normal, but as we near the end of our lives we find it very hard to accept that in only a decade or two we again undergo rapid change. Ask yourself this – between 10 and 20 years of age what is the main ingredient, besides growth hormone, that changes you? Of course, it’s your sex hormones.
So how do we fight off this sudden aging process. It’s pretty simple, look at what was previously there and is no longer there, then replace it. The obvious place to start with men is testosterone.
Is your Testosterone level low?
Here’s a quiz for men and it does not matter if you are still in the younger age groups (some people are born with low testosterone, some have injuries or diseases which lower testosterone.):
• I would describe my sexual desire as:
1. Healthy and vigorous
2. Occasional
3. A rare event
4. Nonexistant.
• My mood in general is:
1. Positive and Upbeat
2. Occasionally frustrated
3. Increasingly more frustrated
4. Depressed
• Joint pain and muscular aches:
1. None
2. Mild
3. Moderate
4. Severe
• Sleep problems:
1. None
2. Poor sleep
3. Need more sleep
4. Can’t get to sleep
• Decrease in muscular strength:
1. None
2. Mild
3. Moderate
4. Severe
• Slower beard growth:
1. None
2. Mild
3. Moderate
4. Severe
• Decrease in the number of morning erections:
1. None
2. Mild
3. Moderate
4. Severe
• Your level of obesity (Sometimes better to get other people’s opinion on this):
1. Not a problem
2. Mild
3. Halfway
4. Obese
If you answered 3 or 4 for any of these questions you likely have low or decreasing testosterone. Through supplementation it is possible to correct this condition. Please contact our testosterone specialist, Dr. Mark Barone, at ‘Empowering Wellness’ and he will run specific tests to gauge your level of testosterone deficiency or otherwise.
Remember, we all get old, but don’t have to be old.
Men’s Health Consultation (45 min): $ 65
To make an appointment with our Men’s Health and testosterone specialist please call: 07 5535 9833
At Empowering Wellness Clinic in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast we have over 30 years of experience in the wellness industry. Our professional and caring therapists will listen and do care. Appointments are also available online, by choosing Men’s Health: Book online
If you have read this article and feel it resonates with you, call us on 07 5535 9833; we will listen, we do care and we are here to help.
