What Causes Low Testosterone Levels?

By Sarah P. | Updated: Jun 18, 2020

The biggest sign of low testosterone levels is a low sex drive

The biggest sign of low testosterone levels is a low sex drive, and for those who suffer from low libido it can be a frustrating and embarrassing time. There are several reasons why testosterone levels could be low, so it is important to get to the bottom of it, and to increase testosterone production.

Whatever the cause, there are ways to rebalance testosterone levels, which in turn will increase libido and avoid unnecessary suffering with any other symptoms. Read on to discover what may be causing low testosterone levels.

Reasons for low Testosterone Levels in Women

Stress

When a person is stressed the body kicks into a “fight or flight” reaction state, which means that they produce a higher amount of cortisol, the stress hormone, to cope with what the body perceives as a dangerous situation, so cortisol disrupts the amount of testosterone in the body.

Menopause

During menopause, the production of female hormones is heavily disrupted causing a fluctuation in hormone levels, and a decrease in testosterone.

Birth control

Birth control pills can cause a testosterone deficiency

Oral contraceptive pills definitely have their drawbacks. Birth control pills contain sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which is something that binds to testosterone and makes it biologically inactive. Adding more of this to the body will cause a testosterone deficiency.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

If a women is trying to rebalance estrogen levels using HRT, then it may have a negative effect on testosterone because there will be less progesterone in the body to turn into testosterone.

Removal of ovaries

When the ovaries have been surgically removed, production of testosterone falls dramatically, reducing the testosterone level to 50% of what is was originally. This may cause symptoms such as loss of sexual desire and weaker orgasms.

Age

The natural aging process is another cause for low testosterone levels. Due to the effects that menopause has on the body, the adrenal glands have to produce the majority of testosterone in a woman's later years, but the stress and anxiety that the body experiences during life may cause the adrenal gland to fall short of sufficient levels of the hormone.

Recommendation

A low amount of testosterone in the body can cause a woman to feel distressed because of the symptoms that it produces. Fortunately, you can make many lifestyle changes to balance out testosterone levels again. These are recommended before moving on to alternative treatments. To find out more about how to increase testosterone levels.

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