Most of you are probably unaware of the fact that testosterone, believed to be a male hormone is actually quite important for women health as well. In women, the symptoms arising from reduced levels of testosterone have been brushed aside for quite a while. It’s high time the importance of this hormone for females is realized.
Luckily, in some parts of the world, it has been accepted in the mainstream that women can suffer from testosterone deficiency and this will indeed have severe affects on their health. Three sex hormones including progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone are normally found in women blood. However, in this particular blog we will be discussing the effects of low testosterone that are often downplayed in women.
How testosterone is naturally produced in females
Skipping the two other hormones, let’s come straight to testosterone. While estrogen and progesterone declines sharply at menopause, the fall of testosterone is slightly gradual that follows in the age span of 20 to 40. Since there are no testes in females so this hormone is secreted in lesser amounts from ovaries and adrenal glands.
By the time a women turns 40, her testosterone levels are half of what they used to be at 20. As for the perception that menopause effects testosterone levels, it’s totally absurd. Menopause does not have any affects on declining testosterone whatsoever. In case, the ovaries have to be removed due to some reason, there would be a 50% decline in testosterone levels.
Symptoms
The resulting symptoms are more or less the same as in men. Although, women don’t need substantial amounts of testosterone in their blood to remain healthy, its decline from normal levels is what leads to diseases and ailments. Women will have erratic mood swings, lack of sexual desire and responsiveness along with weaker orgasms.
Other symptoms that complicate things further include loss of energy, reduced strength, weakened bones increasing the risk of developing osteoporosis. This marks the need for testosterone replacement therapy in women.
In view of the above mentioned symptoms, it’s clear that women’s life is doomed and just because of inadequate levels of testosterone in blood she cannot enjoy her life. Many women might not be aware that low testosterone in blood prompts the fat cells to accumulate more fat due to the presence of excess alpha cells and due to the lack of beta receptors in fat cells.
Hence just like men, testosterone therapy is a promising treatment for women with low testosterone levels. However, it needs to be clarified that unlike men, the level of naturally occurring testosterone in women is around one-tenth of that in women. Therefore the treatment dosage in both differs. For instance, if men have an average production of 20ml in a day, than for women this amount is only 2ml.
Testosterone deficiency treatment in females
Now there are various means to treat testosterone deficiency. Depending upon the level of testosterone decline, different therapy options are effective in different individuals. Testosterone patches is one such option which are developed from a new technology but are quite effective. In some females sublingual tablets are recommended and as the name suggests, they are indeed placed under the tongue.
In some females, the problem can be addressed by applying topical gels to any clean and dry region of the skin. This form of testosterone therapy is quite effective. Besides the skin, a thick gel taken in a small amount is applied to the vulva region just an hour before going to bed. This will considerably reduce the symptoms of low testosterone.
Intramuscular injections also make an option that is obviously the most effective form of treatment known so far. For some people however, the needle insertion procedure is painful since this has to be repeated at least two times a week. In some instances, it has been reported that the release of testosterone is not constant.
As opposed to intramuscular injections, testosterone pallets make an effective tool for the therapy. These pallets are inserted under the lower abdomen skin after making an incision of 1 to 2cm. in order to restore the normal levels of testosterone in females, this form of treatment needs to be repeated after every 120 days. But many people are not in favor of getting an incision in their abdomen so they would probably select any other treatment option.
In general, women have better feeling of well being after a testosterone therapy treatment. She will have improved sex drive and a personal sense of confidence. After testosterone supplementation, women like men are more tentative to sexual response and get easily aroused. This allows them to have more frequent orgasms and enjoy intercourse sessions better than ever.
Health benefits
One can simply not ignore the positive effects of testosterone therapy in women. Besides improving mood, energy and sexual performance, restoring testosterone also promotes bone growth while the problems of vaginal dryness, vasomotor symptoms and atrophy are relieved. Some of the women using testosterone supplements or on a suitable testosterone therapy program are reported to have better cognitive abilities and reduced depression.
Ironically, most of the women susceptible to menopause only have one hot topic of discussion and that is estrogen therapy. It would have been a better approach if testosterone therapy treatment could also be present in such conversations somewhere.
According to a survey, testosterone therapy has significantly helped the survivors of breast cancer to improve their quality of life. Researchers have published that testosterone alongside anastrozole proves to be an effective treatment against the patients of breast cancer.
Word of advice to testosterone deficient women
If your symptoms or blood tests reveal that you have low testosterone, then it is ideal to consult a doctor who can tell you about the pros and cons of testosterone therapy. Perhaps, you can address the problem of low testosterone with natural means that is if they suit in your individual case.
There is not much known regarding the testosterone treatment, yet women with serious hormone deficiency can get a treatment for their condition and their quality of life can be improved since their middle age and onwards. Most of the aging women who naturally get deficient in testosterone can easily restore the balance after a few months of treatment. Moreover, the recommended for testosterone in females is considerably low which cannot cast any possible side effects.
Indeed, testosterone therapy can help a women recover from the severe symptoms of testosterone deficiency. However, incorporation of a healthy diet and better lifestyle will completely complement testosterone therapy and help women recover from various signs and symptoms of aging.
