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Hypogonadism
 Hypogonadism
is a condition where there is a reduced, or an absence of secretion of hormones from the sex glands or gonads. In men, these gonads are the testes and in women, ovaries. It is also referred to as gonadal deficiency.
There are different causes of hypogonadism which are divided into two - primary hypogonadism and central hypogonadism. In the case of primary hypogonadism, the ovaries and testes do not actually function properly.
Its causes can be surgery, liver and kidney disease, radiation, infection, genetic and developmental disorders and because of certain autoimmune disorders. There are some genetic disorders that also bring about primary hypogonadism;
Turner syndrome in women and Klinefelter's Syndrome in men.
In the case of central hypogonadism, it is the centers of the brain that control the gonads that do not actually function properly. Its causes include tumors, radiation, genetic problems, iron excess, bleeding, trauma, infections, nutritional deficiencies and surgery. Another cause of central hypogonadism is that it produces an inability to smell in men, called Kallmann syndrome.
With hypogonadism in childhood, girls tend to lack in menstruation, are usually short and have little breast development. If it occurs after puberty, there will be signs of
loss of menstruation, low libido, loss of body hair and hot flashes. In the case of boys, hypogonadism in childhood leads to lack of muscle and beard development, along with growth problems. Men usually complain of sexual dysfunction,
breast enlargement, muscle loss and decreased facial and body hair with hypogonadism.
The best method to diagnose hypogonadism is to check estrogen levels in women and testosterone levels in men and the FSH and LH levels. There are other tests too; thyroid level, prolactin level, sperm count, a genetic analysis and blood tests for anemia, chemistries and iron. It may be needed to have a sonogram of the ovaries, an MRI or a CT scan of the brain to diagnose hypogonadism at times.
The treatment for hypogonadism is hormonal preparations; estrogen pills or patches for women and testosterone patches or injections for men. Sometimes women are also administered low dose testosterone for their low sex drive. Sometimes correctible causes for hypogonadism like pituitary tumor can be cured by medication, surgery or radiation therapy.
Infertility is one of the complications of hypogonadism in women. A form of hypogonadism that occurs naturally is menopause where there is
vaginal dryness, hot flashes and irritability. With menopause, there is an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease in the woman.
Men experience loss of sex drive, weakness, infertility, impotence and
osteoporosis with hypogonadism. Though men do have some loss of hormone levels as they grow, it is not as bad as the loss in women.
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