Women go through menopause, so why wouldn’t men have something similar as they get older and systems become less stable and depleted. Male menopause is not a myth, it does exist and more men than ever are feeling symptoms that can be tracked to lower testosterone levels. Many of these men are also younger than what would be expected, some in the twenty five to thirty year old range. Physicians are finding that more men are complaining about symptoms that have been attributed to women and menopause including exhaustion, weakness, depression, gaining weight and also a slight lowering of the libido.
There is still much debate in clinical circles regarding the issue of lowered testosterone and the appearance f these symptoms in men and the link between the two. The question is being asked whether men actually do experience of form of male menopause. It may be cause for debate but it already has a moniker. Andropause is the name given to the condition when men begin to experience their own menopause like symptoms due to a loss of testosterone.
Physicians are stating that when they place a male patient on a regimen of hormone replacement therapy or [HRT] to replace testosterone levels, the patients have reported significant relief of symptoms that are related to the purported male menopausal malady. When men receive treatment for testosterone replacement, they are able to benefit from an enhanced quality of life, but more importantly, they decrease dramatically the risk they faced for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and early mortality.
What follows Are Some Basic Questions & Answers Regarding Male Menopause.
At what age does male menopause normally occur in men?
What has been called male menopause or even a mid life crisis in men, when they start to notice symptoms associated with aging and health most commonly occur around age thirty five to forty years, however, environmental issues, stress factors, even toxins has meant that symptoms begin occurring in men as early as their mid twenties up to age thirty. The symptoms could be an indication of some other illness or condition so testing is necessary to establish a root diagnosis.
Does Male menopause eventually strike all men?
Not at all. All men will suffer some loss of testosterone as they age, the decline will be steady through their life. The loss of testosterone is different in every man. Testosterone loss is also more than losing hormone from the level it currently stands at when symptoms occur. If a guy has higher testosterone levels in his twenties and thirties, he will experience more symptoms with their reduction in testosterone than a guy who had lower levels to begin with. This changes as they both attain the same levels into their fifties.
Women And Menopause Is Well Documented. Why Does It Occur In Men?
We have many hormones in our body and as we age, many of these decline in numbers. Testosterone though is principally predisposed to a variety of issues like stress, weight, environmental toxicity in plastics etc. and diabetes. The fact is that normal testosterone levels in men have declined considerably when assessed to men of the same age only ten years ago. It is also lower than average levels of twenty years ago.
Why are low levels of testosterone observed in men, it is just an age factor?
Ordinary aging is quite often confused with symptoms linked to lowered amounts of testosterone though these symptoms can most often be reversed with an HRT regimen. The symptoms of testosterone decline include tiredness, low motivation and less vigor, depressed, easily irritated, lowered sex drive, sexual impotence, lean muscle loss, and weight gain. All common symptoms really of various conditions so hormonal testing is required to confirm a diagnosis.
Can A Guy Avoid or Prevent the Occurrence of Male Menopause?
There are things that can aid in preventing male menopause but they are not easy to control. Steering clear of stress in your life and shunning of environmental toxins would be beneficial but nearly impossible to do altogether. In addition, lowered testosterone levels make it even more troublesome for men to deal with stressful situations in their life. Keeping up a good program of diet and exercise is beneficial at reducing the decline of testosterone levels, however, weight gain also can reduce testosterone amounts which just makes it all the more difficult to decrease your weight. This in turn starts a viscous cycle of persistent weight increase.
Can Anyone Benefit From Hormone Replacement Therapy Or HRT?
It is not for everyone, nevertheless, many men who suffer from decreased levels of testosterone, find it advantageous. They have successfully been able to reverse the symptoms they experience. Hormone replacement therapy has also displayed an ability to reduce the odds of contracting heart disease in those who have had it. The big issue with this is that standard blood analysis chiefly evaluates inactive hormone levels, these do not decrease as rapidly as more active testosterone levels do, and hence they miss considerable deficiency. In addition, the labs have a standard for ranges considered normal with the lowest level being 2.5% of the population as abnormal so therefore many physicians will not even treat symptoms until levels reach that deficiency.
Many men who are suffering symptoms of lowered testosterone, suffering seventy to eighty percent deficiencies in levels, still only be in the lowest 5% of the population, and still be considered to have normal levels by laboratory standards and an unknowledgeable physician. This is why having a good physician with an open mind and previous experience with this condition can be an advantage for men suffering male menopause. A guy with low testosterone levels displaying symptoms and is found to be at low normal levels would be a suitable candidate for HRT – testosterone.
When levels of testosterone are supplemented, these men can improve their quality of life significantly and also reduce the chances of contracting heart disease. Just as an addendum to this information, it has long been believed that testosterone replenishment could raise the chances of developing prostate cancer, and this is erroneous information. It has now been proven that low testosterone levels, not high, increases the risk of prostate cancer.
Wed, Oct 7, 2009
Anti Aging, Health And Aging