If you’re a man, you wouldn’t want to be this kind of “sweet.”
We’re pretty sure most of you are already familiar with some of the more odious complications of diabetes like heart disease, kidney disease, and gangrene. What we’re not that much familiar with is the relation of high blood sugar with low testosterone in men.
Yes, being sweet is nice and all, especially for men. However being “sweet” by virtue of a high blood sugar level is not nice at all. Having a high blood sugar level can potentially ruin a man’s proclivities in bed at best and make him infertile at worst.
Low Testosterone in Men
One of the most well-known hormones in the human body is the testosterone. This is mainly produced by the testicles found in men’s reproductive system. Testosterone affects the development of a man’s body, particularly his reproductive system, and his appearance. Also, this hormone is key in sperm production and in boosting a man’s libido or sex drive.
Naturally, the production of testosterone diminishes with age. Approximately 2 out of 10 men that are 60 years old and above have low testosterone. This jumps to 3 out of 10 men when they reach their 70s. Low testosterone in men is diagnosed when it falls to below 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). Low testosterone in men usually manifests in the following signs:
- Low sex drive
- Having difficulty maintaining erection
- Low semen volume
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Increase in body fat
- Decrease in bone and muscle mass
The normal range for men should be 300 to 1000 ng/dL, as per the Food and Drug Administration of the United States. To determine a man’s testosterone level, a test called serum testosterone test is used by urologists. Unlike women who experience a more rapid drop in their hormone levels, men experience a more gradual decrease over time.
Testosterone and Blood Sugar
For men, one of the complications that can be brought about by an abnormally high blood sugar level is the sudden lowering of the body’s testosterone level. Men who have type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to experience low testosterone as men who have normal blood sugar levels.
However, the lowering of the body’s testosterone level is not just the only complication that a high blood sugar level will bring men. Admittedly, the lowering of one’s testosterone level might result to dire conditions for a man like the lack of any sex drive and infertility later on. However, more serious complications can happen to a man, anyone really, that neglects to manage his blood sugar level.
Top of the list is of course cardiovascular disease. If left untreated, diabetes can cause the narrowing of arteries, heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease. Next is kidney damage of nephropathy. This is actually connected to the destruction of the tiny blood vessels due to the excessive sugar in the bloodstream. Once the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged, this can lead to end-stage kidney disease.
Nerve damage or neuropathy is another serious complication of type 2 diabetes. With the blood vessels destroyed by the excess sugar, there wouldn’t be any nourishment to the nerves found in the body’s limbs or appendages. This can result to numbness or pain that starts at the tips of the toes or fingers and gradually spreads. If left untreated, this can result to amputation.
Other complications include eye damage that can result to blindness, skin diseases, hearing impairment, and in some cases, even depression.
Treatment for Both
Provided that your doctor is on board, you can opt to take male supplements to boost your testosterone level. However, it would be prudent to also keep an eye on your blood sugar level. Once that goes down or settles on a much more manageable level, your low testosterone will follow. Being more physical in the way of exercising everyday and eating healthy will go a long way in managing your blood sugar. You can also opt to take herbal supplements for diabetes to help with your high blood sugar.
