Male Menopause
Andropause, the proper term for male menopause, was first acknowledged in medical literature in the 1940s. Andropause is the result of a drop in hormone levels (particularly testosterone) throughout a mans body. Although menopause is a condition most often associated with middle-aged women, about 40-percent of middle-aged men (from about 40- to 60-years old) experience similar symptoms associated with menopausal women including hot flashes, depression, mood swings, memory loss, fatigue, decreased sexual desire and insomnia.
However, unlike women, men dont have a distinct sign, such as the reduction or end of menstruation, to mark this transition into andropause. The change in men is much more gradual and hard to identify. In most cases, men can continue fathering children during and after andropause is complete.
The production of testosterone decreases in the male body gradually after age 40. This vital male sex hormone helps to build protein, and is extremely necessary for normal sexual behavior and for producing erections. When testosterone is diminished in a mans body, its target-organ response drops as well, triggering low libido, loss of muscle strength and bone mass, increased upper and central body fat, osteoporosis and difficulty when it comes to sustaining erections.
Medical researchers have paid more and more attention to andropause. New blood testing methods have become available to measure bio-available testosterone within the body. Meanwhile, testosterone replacement therapy is a highly effective and beneficial way to treat symptoms caused by low-testosterone. Testosterone therapy can improve mood, increase mental and physical energy, relieve anger, sadness, nervousness and tiredness, help develop better sleep patterns, improve sexual performance, increase muscle strength and decrease the risk of heart disease. Testosterone is administered in two ways within North America its either administered via injection or taken orally.
Andropause is beginning to get the attention it deserves. Its becoming more and more accepted as a natural part of male aging. To cope with the male change, eating a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, performing regular exercise, building strong relations with family and friends, as well as cutting off the consumption of caffeine and alcohol will help a man deal with many of the uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms.
