Articles on Menopause | Topics: menopause, menopausal
by Charles Joyce
Believe it or not, some doctors and researchers say that men, who think they are going through the proverbial midlife crisis, may actually be experiencing something much different--a male version of menopause.
Shocking as it sounds to all you men out there, male menopause, or andropause, is quickly becoming more widely documented and accepted by health care providers as a reason for the changes that many middle-aged men experience--from loss of energy to depression to waning libido to sexual dysfunction. And some doctors are recommending that men who experience these symptoms, along with a host of others such as decreased bone density and weight gain, seek hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other treatments.
Yes, mid-life crises do exist. Most often, this is the time in a man's life when solidity has been achieved and the trials and tribulations that were once a major factor of life are now at an end. This newfound awareness that a life change has occurred can sometimes trigger a crisis. A mid-life crisis is essentially a problem of psychosocial adjustment. It does not necessarily have a bearing on a man's sex life and is thus not synonymous with the male menopause. However, there is frequently a superimposition of male menopausal factors in middle-aged men going through crises and this makes the picture hazy.
Male menopause is a distinct physiological phenomenon that, in many ways is akin to, yet in some ways quite different from the female version.
Menopause, a condition most often associated with women, occurs when she ceases to menstruate for a period of one year and can no longer have children. Men experience a different type of 'menopause' that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 60--but sometimes as early as age 30. Men, unlike women, can continue to father children, but the production of the male sex hormone (testosterone) diminishes gradually after age 40.
| Historical Quote |
The menopause is probably the least glamorous topic imaginable; and this is interesting, because it is one of the very few topics to which cling some shreds and remnants of taboo. A serious mention of menopause is usually met with uneasy silence; a sneering reference to it is usually met with relieved sniggers. Both the silence and the sniggering are pretty sure indications of taboo.
| —Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929) |
|
|
Testosterone, the hormone that stimulates sexual development and bone and muscle growth, is responsible for the sex drive (libido). Even in healthy men, by the age of 55, may find that the amount of testosterone secreted into the bloodstream is significantly lower than it may have been just ten years earlier. In fact, by age 80, most male hormone levels decrease to pre-pubescent levels.
The symptoms of male menopause are very similar to the ones women experience and can be just as overwhelming. However, male menopause does not affect all men--not to the same degree at least. Approximately 40 % of men between the ages of 40 and 60 will experience some degree of depression, lethargy, increased irritability, mood swings, hot flashes, insomnia, decreased libido, weakness, loss of both lean body mass and bone mass (making them susceptible to hip and spinal fractures) and difficulty in attaining and sustaining erections (impotence).
Such unanticipated physical and psychological changes can be a major cause for concern or even crisis for the men who suffer from them. Without an understanding partner, these problems may result in an overwhelming combination of anxiety and doubt, which may lead to total impotence and sexual frustration. A recent aging study showed that 51 % of normal, healthy males aged 40 to 70 experiences some degree of impotence--defined as a re-occurring problem attaining and maintaining an erection that is rigid enough for sexual intercourse. Surely this problem cannot be attributed to the aging process alone; however, other factors are culpable--notably the co-existence of degenerative or other diseases. Also, well over 40 % of males remain sexually active at 70 years of age and beyond.
Only a knowledgeable physician should administered Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT), and only under strict case selection, criteria, and supervision. Testosterone must never be used as a tonic for vague complaints--it may cause serious side effects, including prostate cancer. Although, the risk of getting prostate cancer from TRT treatment has been over-hyped. Recent evidence suggests that the fear of developing prostate cancer as a result of TRT treatment is perhaps exaggerated--prostatic disease is estrogen-dependent rather than testosterone-dependent. However, if testosterone is administered to a patient who already has cancer of the prostate it may cause a flare up, aggravating the disease. It is important to receive a thorough check-up and before starting testosterone replacement therapy.
|
We strive to provide
only top rate articles on our website. If
there is a specific angle on menopause that you would like us to cover, please contact us here.
Please note: All personal opinions expressed in the "Menopause in Men – It Can Happen" article belong to the contributing author and are not necessarily shared by HealthExerciseSports.com. |
Gums, Patches, Hypnosis – Oh My! Various Methods to Help You Quit Smoking
By Underwood
If you are a smoker, you have undoubtedly tried several times to quit the habit. But, for some, this struggle seems to be a little more difficult than for others....
Little League Baseball
By Prasert Wood
There is no more an American a tradition than Little League baseball. For generations upon generations, hopeful dads have sent their sons out onto the field to play that greatest of American games – baseball....
Sports Marketing
By Malik Hughes
Growing up in New York, I never thought about marketing in sports. Everyone there was either a Yankees fan or a Mets fan....
How Cardio Fitness Programs Accelerate Weight Loss
By Fariishta Zimmerman
Cardio fitness programs are aerobic exercises that help you loose weight. The more vigorous the exercise, the more amount of fat and calories you burn....
When at First You Don't Succeed – Quit Smoking Again
By Tomas M. Cote
So you've decided to quit smoking—again. As Mark Twain famously said, "Quitting smoking is easy....
|
