Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers. These organic substances are released by glands and sent to the various organ systems to help regulate metabolism, growth rate, digestion, sexual function and a host of other aspects of human physiology.
Hormone levels vary depending on the sex of the individual, among other things. For men, an imbalance in hormones can result from a variety of different factors.
Medication
Certain diseases require treatment via drugs that may affect levels of male hormone. Prostate cancers are treated with anti-androgen drugs such as cyproterone and flutamide. These androgen suppressants can cause feminizing effects such as gynecomastia, or enlarged breasts.
Other drugs that can cause side effects due to their influence on male hormone levels include efavirenz, used in the treatment of AIDS, tricyclic antidepressants, cimetidine and other ulcer drugs, heart medications and chemotherapy, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Tumors
Some tumors that affect a gland can cause an increase in hormone production. Others can decrease hormone production. Hormonally active tumors can contribute to gynecomastia and other feminizing results. Tumors that affect the hypothalamus or the pituitary gland, for example, can result in lowered levels of testosterone. Impotence and loss of body hair and muscle can result.
Diet
Stanford University notes that a diet that is overly high in iodine can cause hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormones affect the quality of semen that is produced by the testicles. When iodine intake is excessive, low sperm count can result and the man may experience infertility.
Genetic Disorders
Chromosomal abnormalities can lead to an imbalance in male hormones. Klinefelter syndrome is an example of a genetically induced male hormonal disorder. Men with Klinefelter syndrome have an extra Y chromosome that they inherited from one of their parents. The symptoms of Klinefelter syndrome typically manifest during puberty, and include enlarged breasts, decreased muscle mass and sparse facial or body hair. Sterility and learning disabilities are sometimes a result of Klinefelter syndrome.
The University of Maryland Medical Center states that a rare disorder called Kallman syndrome is another genetic cause of male hormonal imbalance. It causes a condition known as hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, which can prevent the onset of puberty and result in infertility.
Hormone Transfer Through Skin Contact
The use of transdermal patches to deliver progesterone through the skin is a boon to women who have progesterone deficiencies, but it can be a bane for the men who are intimate with these women. Skin contact can cause these hormones to be transferred from women to their male partners, who then absorb them into their system, according to Rocky Mountain Analytical Laboratories. Accumulation of progesterone in men due to skin transfer can cause testosterone deficiency.
