Talk of health, hormones, aging, and sexual health are common among women nowadays, but discussion of men’s health among men themselves still seems to be shrouded in a fear of appearing weak. That stigma is not only a risk to the quality of life for some 4-5 million American males who experience low testosterone, but is also putting men at risk for not catching other medical issues that could threaten their lives.
We at Men’s Wellness Center are working to dismantle the stigma surrounding low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, and general healthcare. We in Richmond, Virginia, with offices in Newport News, Virginia Beach locations as part of our network of casual, comforting, and caring clinics for men to seek treatment for symptoms like low metabolism, trouble sleeping, low libido, and mild depression.
A Richmonder named, Rod Fitzwell was an early adopter of Men’s Wellness. He expected to notice an improved sense of well-being after treatment for low testosterone or low-T, but he never expected the results that would eventually save his life.
Fitzwell became a patient at MWC after he noticed a lag in energy and needed to keep up with his demanding schedule. He had previously been diagnosed with low-T, but like many people he had stopped treatment after changing jobs and getting busy.
“I used to run all the time,” says Fitzwell, “and it had been maybe 4 or 5 years since I had been in the gym running consistently. But I can feel my energy level back up, and I’m back to exercising regularly. ”
After hearing about Fitzell’s experience, a friend decided to seek treatment for fatigue and some depression. The therapy wasn’t immediately working, so our doctors ran more tests and discovered he had cancer.
“The guy said if he hadn’t gone, he didn’t know how long it would have been before he went to the doctor. He said technically I saved his life,” says Fitzwell.
While millions of men experience low-T, only 5-10% of them receive treatment. Men’s Wellness Centers recognizes the challenges to seeking diagnosis and treatment. That’s why they’ve included a discreet online chat feature on their website for men to get quick answers to their questions.
Patients at MWC know they are going to an environment where everyone there is also a man experiencing many of the same symptoms.
“It’s still such a taboo subject,” says Fitzwell, “and guys don’t talk about it.”
When men reach 30 years old, testosterone levels typically drop about 1% each year. Our doctors urge men of any age to get regular check ups, but men over 30 should take account of any symptoms that might indicate low-T so they can seek treatment or further testing if symptoms persist.
Symptoms include lack of energy, loss of strength or endurance, less frequent or less strong erections, deterioration in the ability to play sports, falling asleep or getting tired after meals, frequent feelings of sadness or grumpiness, and a lack of focus.
It is all too easy to think any of these symptoms are due to stress or to be anxious about addressing sexual health issues, but it is important to remember that sometimes these symptoms are easily treated and sometimes they are early warning signs for serious conditions.