What can I do about Low T?
It’s not as hard as you’d think!
Authored by Ryden Anderson
Let’s say that several of those symptoms hit pretty close to home for you regarding our previous installment of Manopause.
Now what?
Well, the first step is to get a proper medical diagnosis.
Low T often goes undiagnosed. Simple bloodwork or urinalysis can check testosterone levels, but such tests aren’t a routine part of your annual physical. (That’s because many men with low T levels may experience no negative symptoms. In other words, decreased testosterone production is a normal part of aging; it’s not necessarily a problem for everyone.) But this means that if you’re experiencing symptoms you think may be caused by low T, it’s up to you to talk to your doctor about getting your levels checked.
Talk To Your Doctor
It’s also important to keep in mind that there are several other factors that may cause or contribute to those symptoms, such as age, medications, lifestyle, or a high BMI (30+). Erectile dysfunction, for instance may be more likely caused by vascular or even psychological factors—in which case, Viagra has been shown to be a far more effective treatment than the hormone-replacement therapies (HRTs) used for low-T interventions.
But assuming you’re diagnosed with low T, HRT isn’t your only option. There are some relatively simple lifestyle changes that may increase testosterone levels in men with low T—or prevent testosterone levels from dropping in otherwise at-risk males.
Nonmedical Solutions: What can I do myself?
The good news is that there are actually several ways that you might be able to boost your T levels without involving a doctor. The bad news is that it’s mostly stuff you probably already knew you should be doing—you know, clean living, self care, all the boring crap you don’t have the time for. (Or maybe you’re already living your best life and you’ve still got low T.) We’ll get to the available medical interventions in a moment. But first, here’s what you can do yourself (for free!) to help boost your testosterone levels back into the normal range:
Get Fit for Testosterone Boost
- keep a healthy sleep schedule (7–9 hours nightly, with roughly the same sleep and wake times—even on weekends);
- exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes daily—especially strength training);
maintain a healthy weight (under 30 BMI); - eat a balanced diet (healthy fats, protein, and carbs);
- reduce or eliminate alcohol (I know, what’s even the point?);
minimize stress (easier said than done, right?); - regulate vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc levels (based on fasting bloodwork); and
- review your medications with your doctor to make sure one of them isn’t the culprit.
But let’s say those aren’t cutting it for you. (Or maybe you’re already living your best life and you’ve still got low T.) Stay tuned, dude: we’ve got you covered. In Part 3 of this series, we’ll dive deep into testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), a medical intervention that can get your T levels back up where they ought to be—and get you back to kicking ass and feeling great, just like back in the day.
In the meantime, if the manopause symptoms we covered above sounded familiar and you think low T may be to blame, don’t waste another day feeling like less than yourself. Schedule an appointment or drop by our clinic to get your T levels tested today!