Male Menopause – What the Onset of Andropause can mean For Men over Forty

At this time, the medical community doesn’t agree on the stance that there is male menopause. The reason is that there isn’t a defined time table where men can experience this problem. While most doctors will agree that testosterone levels will decrease in the male, things like diabetes and other diseases are often combined with this experience. However, when a man does go through a period would some consider male menopause, he does show some tell-tale signs. These symptoms may include:

•    Depression
•    Weakness
•    Fatigue
•    Sexual Dysfunction

These changes will usually happen between the ages of 45 and 50, with the most dramatic changes taking place when a man reaches the age of 70. Of course, medical changes can take place at any point in your life and you will need to keep that in mind when you are trying to diagnose any health concern that you may have.

The main difference between the traditional understanding of menopause and the condition known as male menopause is the fact that the testes do not lose the ability to stop producing testosterone, while ovaries will cease production of estrogen at this time. This means that a man who is in his 80s and 90s can still theoretically produce active semen, while the potency will diminish as the result of age.

So how is a man diagnosed with this condition? Usually, a doctor will take blood levels and determine what the blood testosterone levels are and then determine if there is a hormonal imbalance. If a medical condition is present, a doctor may not be so quick to diagnose male menopause and instead, link the testosterone imbalance to a medical condition instead. In some cases, you may be referred to a specialist to touch on contributing factors.

If an imbalance is detected though, a doctor will most likely begin a therapy that uses testosterone shots. With the shots, depression, fatigue and sex drive can potentially improve. The downside of this therapy is that studies have shown that these shots can increase the risk of prostate cancer and create additional health concerns with the male.

Because of all these factors, it will be a good idea to meet with a doctor to diagnose and help you to treat your condition if you are diagnosed with male menopause. Remember, different illnesses can contribute to the many of the symptoms that are linked to this condition and because of that, you will need to have a hormone test done to help determine if this is the condition you have.

While the medical community may be split in opinion about the condition itself, there is no doubt that there is research available proving that testosterone levels decrease with age and because of that, there are plenty of therapy options that will be available to you for treatment.