What is Hypogonadism?
Hypogonadism – A Definition
In medical parlance, hypogonadism is the term used to describe a pathological condition wherein the reproductive system exhibits a decreased functionality of the gonads or the sex glands as a result of which they are not able to produce the optimum amount of testosterone or the male sex hormone in males. According to medical terminology, the occurrence of hypogonadism takes place when the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis gets disturbed during any phase of a man’s life cycle. Hypogonadism can occur in females too when their ovaries are affected and become defective, while it is the testes that turn defective in the male.
Depending on the cause of hypogonadism, it can be classified in two categories as under:
Primary Hypogonadism
When the gonads in the male reproductive system lose their capacity to secrete sufficient amounts of steroidal hormones that work to suppress the effects of LH and LSH, a pathological condition known as Hypergonadotropic Hypogonadism occurs. This is also known as primary testicular failure due to the fact that the origin is related directly to abnormalities in the testicles and Turner Syndrome and Klinefelter Syndrome are some typical examples of this affliction.
Secondary Hypogonadism
The secondary type of hypogonadism manifests itself whenever a defect occurs in the pituitary gland or that part of the hypothalamus where the chemical signals that the pituitary gland sends out are processed. Among the reasons for such a pathological condition to manifest itself are likely damage to the pituitary gland at the fetal stage, the reaction to certain drugs imbibed in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux and psychiatric diseases or the result of a reaction of certain types of inflammatory diseases. Secondary hypogonadism being directly connected with the central nervous system is also known as central hypogonadism.
Facts About Hypogonadism
Global scientific studies clearly show that one of the prominent causes of male infertility is hypogonadism and world wide, around 15 million males suffer from this physical condition which has been seen to affect males at any age right from the fetal stage up until adulthood. In addition to the reduction in the sex hormone secretion levels, there is also the accompanying symptoms of characteristic emotional and mental changes and in quite a few cases, indications of signs very similar to andropause and menopause have been observed.
Treatment Of Hypogonadism
Among the various forms of treatment available for hypogonadism, Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT has been found to be the most appropriate. Testosterone Replacement Therapy or TRT has been found to be very effective in developing secondary traits like the growth of pubic hair, muscle growth and masculine hair growth and is widely used in stimulating puberty in young adults. Low sperm count level conditions have been known to respond well to Pituitary hormone injections while infertility cases have shown good response to Gonadotropin Replacement Therapy or GnRH treatment.
You can effectively increase testosterone levels with the use of injections, patches or gels but you should always consult a qualified physician for a proper evaluation of the most appropriate and effective form of Hormone Replacement Therapy for your condition.

