There isn’t really an established baseline for how high a “normal” person’s sex drive is supposed to be; there’s just too much natural variation to be able to tell that kind of thing. A high libido is often associated with general health, but it’s quite possible for some people to have good overall hormone levels accompanied by a low libido. For others, though, a low sex drive can be a sign of hormonal imbalance.
How can you tell what your sex hormones are up to? A low sex drive isn’t necessarily an urgent problem, but imbalanced hormones can lead to all kinds of issues if they’re ignored for too long. If you need some answers, you can get them from a sex drive test; you won’t even need to visit the doctor’s office if you use at-home tests, like the ones you can get from Base. But first, what are some of the signs that a low libido is being caused by imbalances, rather than just being a part of how your body works? Here are some of the symptoms to look for.
How Has Your Mood Been Lately?
Your mood is governed by a thousand different factors, so this can be tricky to determine if you’re just looking at this one symptom. However, if you’ve been experiencing sudden mood changes (mostly for the worse) together with a low sex drive, that points to a hormonal cause. The main culprit here could be cortisol, one of the hormones that determines your stress levels. High cortisol means high stress; if your system is being bombarded with “fight or flight” signals all day, your sex hormone levels – and your libido – will suffer as a result.
Hormonal therapies offered by Anu Aesthetics is a safe and highly effective procedure that you need to try in case you feel mood swings and lower sex drive. By regulating the hormonal changes in your body, medical professionals will get your life back on track in no time.
Men Can Sometimes Suffer From Sexual Dysfunction
While there isn’t a direct correlation between hormone imbalances and mechanical issues in males, there’s a definite link between the two. Sexual dysfunction can still occur in men with apparently healthy libidos, and vice versa. The thing to watch out for is when there are issues in the bedroom and a low sex drive at the same time; that’s a pretty good sign of hormonal imbalance.
Discomfort Or Irritation For Women Can Be A Sign That Key Hormone Levels Are Off
Intercourse isn’t supposed to be painful for women; if a woman consistently experiences discomfort while getting intimate along with a low sex drive, it’s likely that something’s up with her hormones. While the female sex drive isn’t typically as high as men’s, balanced hormone levels will usually be accompanied by periods of higher libido – during ovulation, for example.
Has Your Self-Esteem Taken A Hit Because Of Your Low Sex Drive?
Now, this connection is a little harder to prove – but it could turn out to be a missing piece of the puzzle for some, so it’s worth mentioning. If maintaining a low libido is just how your body works, you probably won’t stress too much about it – it’s just a part of everyday life for you. However, if you’ve had an average or high libido at some point, only to see it gradually drop off, this could affect the way you approach sex. It’s not uncommon for people with low libidos to report feelings of inadequacy, especially where their partners are concerned. Once they’ve identified their low sex drive, but can’t seem to find a solution, this could seriously affect their self-esteem.
Of Course, The Most Obvious Sign Of Imbalanced Sex Hormones Is Having A Low Sex Drive
While the two aren’t synonymous, it’s common to speak of them both as if they’re the same thing; and for most people, this is pretty accurate. When you read “low sex drive” here, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t always ready to go 24/7; it means that it’s barely noticeable most of the time. Libido is the body’s way of encouraging reproduction, just like with any other species. It won’t work this way for everyone, but it’s a pretty solid rule of thumb: if your libido is missing-in-action, that’s a sign that something’s interfering with the way your body wants to work.
Does Any Of This Sound Familiar?
If so, it might be time to dig a little deeper with the help of a sex drive test. Fortunately, this could be easier to get done than you think. If you decided to track your sex hormone levels using Base’s at-home tests, you wouldn’t even have to leave the house. Base doesn’t just measure your levels and give you the numbers without any context; you can view your results in the Base app, along with customized recommendations based on each round of tracking tests. And best of all? Most of these tests don’t even involve needles – you’ll just have to collect your saliva at the right time of day, and you’re good to go.
Because a low libido can have so many causes, it’s best to take a multi-angled approach by also measuring certain vitamin and protein levels. After all, you aren’t just measuring your sex hormones; you’re trying to find out what’s causing your low libido, bad moods, etc. In order to get to the root cause, it’s also helpful to measure your levels of the following:
- DHEA, a hormone that’s instrumental in preventing premature aging
- Cortisol, or “the stress hormone”, which can cause a lot of damage when it’s elevated for too long
- Estradiol, a form of estrogen that plays a big part in women’s reproductive cycles
- Progesterone, a key hormone in women
- HbA1c, a type of hemoglobin which is necessary for the body to maintain hormonal balance
- Vitamin D, which is actually a hormone in itself
- SHBG, something that men need in order to maintain testosterone levels
If you can take a few months to track your hormone levels, you’ll be able to see not only how you’ve improved, but also where to focus your efforts next. Once you’ve learned about your own unique body chemistry, you’ll do a lot less second-guessing if any of these symptoms pop up somewhere down the line.
*collaborative post
