What puts you in the mood and gets you sexually giddy is your testosterone. As a man, testosterone fuels your masculinity because if it is abnormally low, you could behave in a feminine way.
This piece is intended to intimate you on all you need to know about testosterone, its roles, and other dimensions that can be explored as far as the enzyme is concerned.
However, before delving into this discussion, it’s pertinent to explain what testosterone is
Testosterone: briefly explained
Going back to basics, we were taught in high school that enzymes are organic catalysts that speed up the rate of chemical reaction in the body. Several enzymes serve different purposes and one of such enzymes responsible for sexuality in the male gender is testosterone.
It plays the following roles in the male genderThe deepening of the voice during puberty
The development of the penis and testes
Muscle size and strength
The appearance of facial and pubic hair starting at puberty; later in life, it may play a role in balding
Bone growth and strength
Sex drive (libido)
Sperm production
Also, noteworthy is the fact that boys with low testosterone level are predisposed to behaving like a female. They tend to not experience normal masculinization like other men with a normal level of testosterone. Moreover, it helps to maintain normal mood in males.
In the production of testosterone, the pituitary gland at the back of the brain is signaled by the brain. The signal is further sent to the testes by the pituitary gland, thus, testosterone is produced in the process by the testes. However, there exists a feedback loop too such that when the testosterone produced by the testes is too much, the brain signals the pituitary gland so that the production can be minimized.
Apart from the men who need a reasonable amount of testosterone for the optimal function of their body and sexual development, it is also present in the female gender too where it is produced in the adrenal gland and ovaries. The function of testosterone in female include the enhancement of ovarian function and the improvement of bone strength. Testosterone is also said to be needed for the enhancement of the female sexual libido, however, there’s still a dearth of evidence to back up this claim.
What’s more, testosterone is synthesized in the body from cholesterol. However, this does not mean that having high cholesterol is proportional to having high testosterone. Testosterone production in the body is controlled and regulated by the pituitary gland in the brain.
What Happens When Testosterone is too High
This situation is not common among the male gender. What used to be tied to excessive testosterone levels in the body which include sexual promiscuity, rage, and aggressive behavior are all misconceptions. This is because what constitutes the normal level of testosterone in the body is not appropriately defined and it differs from person to person. The following problems are obtainable when the testosterone in the body is too high:Heart muscle damage and increased risk of a heart attack: excess testosterone in the body can lead to high blood pressure, hence culminating in the damage of the heart muscle. Eventually, such an individual becomes vulnerable to cardiovascular attacks.
Liver disease: this also could be a resultant effect of high testosterone in the body. When the hormone is in excess quantity, it can impair the liver
Low sperm count: this sounds odd since testosterone is responsible for the production of sperm in men. However, it is the reality as excess testosterone shrinks lower sperm count instead of boosting it.
Shrinking of the testicles and impotence: it could also lead to the shrinking of the testicles to such an extent that the scrotum is deadened. Once the testicles shrink up, the penis becomes redundant.
Prostate enlargement and difficulty urinating: This is another problem peculiar to a high level of testosterone in the body. It causes inflammation of the prostate gland and this culminates in difficulty in urinating. This could further escalate into prostate cancer.
Increased muscle mass: excessive testosterone levels in men also cause an irregular increase in body mass. That’s why you have some men looking like incredible hulk and it is not a product of rigorous exercise but natural.
Other problems include; increased risk of blood clots, aggressive behaviors; mood swings, euphoria, irritability, and impaired judgment; delusional behavior
High testosterone level also happens to women too and it is caused by a disease known as the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). It is a disease common to women who are yet to attain menopause. Some problems associated with
