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Article Series: Menopause
Menopause Symptoms and Relief
Menopause
for Men: Can It Happen?
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.
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.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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