1. Symptoms in Newborns
When hypogonadism occurs in your baby, it is most often discovered at birth. This is particularly true for boys. Lack of testosterone while in the womb impacts the fetal development of the sex organs. If your newborn has ambiguous genitalia, undescended testicles or underdeveloped sex organs, that usually indicates hypogonadism. In some extreme cases, a baby may have sex organs that appear female externally despite the child being genetically male.
2. Symptoms in Adolescents
When hypogonadism occurs in childhood, it becomes easiest to spot during puberty. The lack of testosterone in boys and estrogen in girls causes puberty to be delayed. In boys this presents as failure to grow body hair or develop muscle mass, lack of genital growth and no lowering of the voice. Additionally, your son may grow breast tissue, and his limbs may grow faster than the trunk of his body. In girls, failure to begin menstruating with puberty is the most obvious sign of hypogonadism. Lack of breast development and impaired overall growth can also be a symptom of hypogonadism. It's not always easy for you to spot these symptoms because children can mature at different rates. You should talk to your child's doctor about testing hormone levels if there is a concern about the pace of pubescent changes.
3. Symptoms in Adults
When hypogonadism occurs in adulthood, the symptoms are slightly more subtle than in puberty. In men, a gradual feminization of the body is characterized by growth of breast tissue, decreasing facial and body hair, loss of muscle mass and bone mass and shrinking and softening of the testicles. Additionally, you may experience erectile dysfunction, mood swings, hot flashes, lowered libido and fatigue. Infertility is often the defining symptom doctors use to spot hypogonadism, since the other symptoms may be explained away or overlooked. In women, premature loss of menstruation (menopause) is the most obvious symptom of hypogonadism. With this you can expect all of the common symptoms of menopause, such as irritability, fatigue, hot flashes and depression. Infertility is another symptom that often leads to a hypogonadism diagnosis in women.
