Unknown to several men, they also experience the horrors of male menopause, which involves a significant drop in the reproductive hormones during middle age generally between the ages of forty and sixty. The condition is medically known as Andropause, Testosterone Deficiency, Viropause, Late Onset Hypogonadism (LOH), Male Climacteric, Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (ADAM) or Partial Androgen Deficiency in the Aging Male (PADAM).
To be more specific, while female menopause occurs when the ovaries cease to function and ovulation and menstruation ends, which lead to the sudden decrease and eventual loss of estrogen hormones; alternately, andropause involves a gradual decline in the testosterone level. However, while the former leads to complete infertility, the same is not true for men. Sexual impotence aside, testosterones as well as sperm cells are continually produced, permitting the latter to produce children even up to the age of eighty.
People experience menopause as a natural biological occurrence. However, some other factors are said to contribute to an earlier onslaught of the condition, such as: excessive alcohol intake, hormonal deficiencies, obesity, improper diet, hypertension, smoking, medications, lack of exercise, psychological problems, heart and lung diseases, and surgical removal of the ovaries or the uterus among females.
The major effect of both menopause and andropause is that people are steadily brought back to pre-puberty stage, with symptoms that affect not only their hormones but also their physiological, psychological, social, spiritual and sexual aspects. Noticeable symptoms that are common to both include: hot flashes and night sweats, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, headaches and dizziness, hair loss, low sex drive, memory loss, poorer judgments, lethargy, weight gain, digestive problems, gum and oral problems, incontinence, itches and allergies, vaginal dryness for women and erectile dysfunction for men, difficulty concentrating, irregular heartbeat, and sleeping disorders.
Mid-life crisis or psychological and emotional changes are likewise experienced, such as intermittent mood swings, irritability, depression and anxiety. Men undergoing andropause become more boyish and childish but with less bravado. They grow to be more emotionally attached to family and friends. They become more motherly and domesticated.
There are now medically recognized treatments for both menopause and andropause. The most common one is hormone replacement therapy. There is Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for andropause and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (PHT) for menopause, which help to bring the hormonal levels back up. However, it is said that when improperly administered, TRT can affect sperm production and increase the risk of having prostate cancer, stroke and liver toxicity. PHT is likewise said to be a triggering cause for stroke among women. Other symptoms for menopause and andropause are treated for the specific medical condition experienced. The problem seen here is that the condition is not addressed holistically and there still remain other symptoms that are untreated.
In any case, people must know that the condition is inevitable. Men or women alike would eventually have to experience menopause. Perhaps, like other health conditions, menopause might actually be bearable save for some indications that affect one’s interpersonal relationships. The best way to deal with this is for the whole family to be familiar with the condition and its symptoms. Doing so will certainly help how they relate with one another as everyone begins to understand what the loved one is going through.