How Can You Determine If Symptoms Are Due to Fatigue, Depression, or Another Underlying Issue Like Low Testosterone?

When figuring out what is causing fatigue or feeling low, doctors first ask many questions about how you feel day-to-day. They ask if you have problems with sleep, mood changes like sadness or lack of interest in fun things, or if you have other signs that worry you. This helps them see if it might be depression. They also check for symptoms of low testosterone, such as less energy, lower sex drive, or changes in body hair, testicle size, breast size, and muscle strength. If these signs are present, a blood test to measure testosterone levels in the morning is often suggested because hormone levels change during the day. A careful physical exam is done to see if there are any clues of other conditions. Sometimes, fatigue can seem like depression, and low testosterone can also make you feel down. Doctors use tools like questionnaires about depression along with lab tests to help tell them apart. By combining all this information, they can make a more accurate guess if your symptoms come from being tired, feeling depressed, or having a low hormone level.