The female menopause marks the end of the female reproductive cycle . However, men also experience a variety of symptoms and changes as they age, which many liken to the effects of menopause.
This condition is often referred to as “andropause,” however this label is somewhat misleading and the definition of symptoms, causes, and treatments is still not entirely clear.
According to an article in the journal Social History of Medicine , male menopause, or andropause, was a hotly debated topic from the late 1930s to the mid-1950s, but current researchers advise that without clear limits, andropause it is not a useful diagnosis.
However, aging does have effects on the male body, including regularly lowered testosterone levels.
Is “male menopause” real?
Although turning years has effects on the levels of sex-specific hormones in men, this process should not be linked to female menopause.
Instead, some researchers associate the symptoms with a condition called androgen depletion in aging men or late-onset hypogonadism. This occurs naturally when the gonads, or organs that make sex cells, begin to age and lose their function.
The condition affects only 2.1% of men , while menopause is a natural part of female sexual development. This prevalence increases with age, but it is not common in male development.
Symptoms
Symptoms of conditions that people often label male menopause come on more slowly and subtly and less severely than menopause. The decline in male hormone levels, or testosterone, is less severe than the drop in hormone levels for women during menopause.
The signs and symptoms that some people attribute to male menopause include: hot flashes, bad mood and irritability, accumulation of fat around the abdomen and chest, loss of muscle mass, dry and thin skin or excessive sweating.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine identifies the most common symptoms of male menopause as decreased libido, decreased frequency of morning erections, and erectile dysfunction.
The study lists other symptoms including a loss of energy, an inability to walk more than 1 kilometer, and difficulty completing strenuous physical tasks, such as running or lifting heavy objects. Kneeling, squatting, and squatting can also be more difficult. Depression and fatigue can also appear as a result of the change in male hormone levels.
Causes
After a man reaches the age of 30, testosterone levels gradually decline, dropping an average of one percent each year.
However, doctors do not believe that the normal age-related decline in testosterone levels is at the center of male menopausal symptoms. If this were related to symptoms, every man would experience them, but it is not the case.
This condition is complex. It usually appears in older men with declining testosterone levels, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
This suggests that changing levels of male hormones are not the only contributing factor to this condition. Other risk factors include underlying health problems, such as: lack of exercise, smoking, drinking alcohol, stress, anxiety, or sleep deprivation.
Treatment
Since the condition is not clearly defined, men who experience these physical changes will be treated according to their symptoms. An obese person will receive weight management support and an exercise regimen. People with diabetes and cardiovascular disease will require appropriate treatment for the underlying condition. A doctor may recommend testosterone therapy, but the effectiveness of this treatment is unclear. Testosterone therapy may increase the risks of a urinary tract blockage and prostate cancer. It can also aggravate ischemic heart disease, epilepsy, and sleep apnea.
The FDA ruled in 2015 that many testosterone and vitamin supplements that claim to help with male menopause do not contain the recommended components and may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer and cardiovascular problems.
It’s best to go straight to your doctor to talk to him about the best way to manage the symptoms of aging and age-related diseases.
