Causes of Low Testosterone in Men
Author: Brian Hildebrandt, Last Updated: Oct. 18, 2018
There can be many causes of low testosterone. Some are more direct as a result of common injuries.
Others not so obvious. Here’s a list of possible reasons your testosterone levels may be low.
Low Testosterone Causes
- Age
- Head Injury
- Testicular Injury
- Vasectomy
- Medication
Age and Low Male Testosterone
The older you get, the more susceptible you are to developing low testosterone. Organs eventually fail and wither, and your inner workings aren’t as efficient as they once were.
Average Testosterone Levels by Age in Men
| Age | Average Male Testosterone Level |
|---|---|
| 15-24 | 750 ng/dl |
| 25-34 | 700 ng/dl |
| 35-44 | 650 ng/dl |
| 45-54 | 600 ng/dl |
| 55-64 | 550 ng/dl |
| 65-74 | 500 ng/dl |
| 75-84 | 450 ng/dl |
| 85-99 | 400 ng/dl |
Head Injury and Testosterone
If you’ve sustained a blow to the head or a traumatic brain injury, caused by a stroke, heart attack, or loss of oxygen for long periods of time, low testosterone may result.
An important part of the testosterone puzzle, called the HPTA (hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis) may get damaged during such a injury.
The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are brain structures that act like traffic controllers to signal your testicles to make more testosterone. With those signals gone, there’s a good chance you may develop low testosterone levels.
Testosterone and Testicular Injury
Getting a traumatic injury to your testicles can also result in a cause of low testosterone. As part of the HPTA, your gonads (testicles) when damaged, will diminish or stop producing testosterone. So take care of those family jewels. Although you get a pair… two are better than one.
Vasectomies May Lower Testosterone
What your doctor may not have told you… a little known side effect of getting a vasectomy is developing an autoimmune (self-attacking) disorder, that literally kills your testicular tissue.
Since your sperm are no longer needed, your body attacks them like a foreign invader. Due to the closeness of your testicles to your sperm, they can suffer damage in the process.
Although this happens in a minority of people, it’s definitely important to keep a close eye on if any were to occur.
Causing Low Testosterone Through Injury
Medication may be the cause of low testosterone through three different paths. They can;
- Damage nerves
- Damage the vascular system
- Damage the endocrine system
Testosterone Lowering Medications/Drugs
- Anti-hypertensives (Inderal, Clonidine, Reserpine, Lasix, etc…)
- Antidepressants (SSRI’s, tricyclics, MAOi’s, etc…)
- Tranquilizers (Haldol, Thorazine, Zyprexa, Seroquel, etc…)
- Anticholinergics (Benadryl, Donnatal, Pro-Banthine, Cogentin, etc…)
If you’ve experienced any of these low testosterone causes, I’d suggest getting yourself checked by your doctor. Testosterone replacement may be needed if appropriate.