Thursday, October 13, 2016

What is Andropause?

Andropause is the result of very low testosterone levels in the male body.

By the time men reach the age of 45, they experience a phenomenon similar to the female menopause - this is known as andropause. Unlike menopause, though, andropause does not have a menstruation mark to determine transition. Instead, bodily changes occur very gradually in the male body, which are usually accompanied by mood swings, fatigue, decline in the sex drive and loss of physical dexterity.
Studies show that this decline in testosterone can put a man's health at risk. A man going through andropause is susceptible to health problems such heart disease and bones density depletion.

Since this condition occurs in men who are in their midlife, symptoms are usually easily dismissed as just another mid-life crisis. In effect, many men who are going through andropause are not diagnosed.

Does andropause occur in all men?

Testosterone level decline will virtually occur in all men. There is no way, however, of predicting who among them will actually be experiencing symptoms of andropause or how severely these symptoms shall manifest in them. Neither is there an exact given age when this can occur. For most men however, andropause symptoms appear between the ages 45 and 55.

Symptoms of andropause

Symptoms of male andropause usually include fatigue or decreased energy, decreased libido or interest in sex, weight gain, forgetfulness, depression, irritability, low self esteem, sleep difficulties and bone loss. Since andropause is the result of low testosterone levels, testosterone target-organ responses in andropausal men typically decrease causing all these symptoms la andropausia.

Fatigue and low energy

When andropause strikes, a man's activity pace slows down considerably. Any form of physical activity demands more effort and the andropausal male becomes more lethargic.

Declining sex drive

Andropausal men do not only have less interest in sex but also have sex less frequently. The reason for this is that men with low testosterone levels may find it difficult to enjoy sex. Testosterone is the primary hormone that controls libido. When testosterone levels decline, the male libido is bound to decline as well.
Body composition

Andropausal men tend to lose about 10% of lean body mass. This muscle loss is generally accompanied by an increase in fat mass. Men undergoing menopause are more obese and tend to experience related health issues due to excessive weight.

Forgetfulness, inability to concentrate

Another syndrome of andropause is memory loss. Although even healthy men can occasionally forget, there's a noticeable change in the ability to retain information for andropausal men. Also as the condition worsens, it becomes more and more difficult to focus and to concentrate.

Feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability

Events or actions of others that were once easily dealt with become more difficult to comprehend for males experiencing andropause.

Confusion, indecision, lower self-confidence

Since most andropausal men tend to gain weight, the consequence of this is very low self-esteem. Along with this, they begin to lose the ability to confidently make decisions and to solve problems.

Lack of sleep

Andropause can cause disruption in sleep patterns. Men with this condition often find it difficult to fall asleep and even when they do have a difficult time staying asleep. As a consequence, the are usually irritable and experience over fatigue during the day.

Osteoporosis

Bone loss will happen and can be considered another symptom of male menopause. Women often begin losing bone mass in their thirties, whereas for men bone loss only begins at the onset of andropause.

 

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