Male Menopause - Whats Going On ?
July 7th, 2008
Less interested in sex lately? Is this a midlife crisis brewing? Or are you feeling the normal hormone changes associated with aging? Hormone changes are a natural part of aging for men. But male menopause is not an accurate description. Unlike the more dramatic hormone plunge that occurs in women during menopause, hormone changes in men occur gradually, over a period of many years, the effects of which are often subtle and not noticed until much later in life. Some men are never affected by lower hormone levels at all — while some have physical and psychological symptoms that can include changes in sexual function, energy levels or mood.
While there are many differences between male and female menopause, one similarity rises above tying men and women into one undeniably human knot of anatomical fate: all women and most men suffer from hormone depletion past a certain age. It should be taken into consideration that hormone replacement therapy is not a natural process, thus if it did not exist what would happen? Would a certain age point inevitably mark a genderless phase of life? Women would have low or no estrogen levels and men, since the number suffering from male menopause is allegedly increasing, would eventually lose their testosterone. Would the elderly become an androgynous human species, with only the once-reproductive parts of a woman and man? Would this breed make society reflect on the trivial gender wars and gender discrimination that exists today and wonder what it was all for?
Men go through aging male syndrome (AMS) between the ages of 35 and 65 when their hormone levels (especially testosterone) decline. Testosterone is a hormone that helps maintain sex drive, sperm production, pubic and body hair, muscle, and bone. The decline of testosterone is normal in healthy males as they age. Unlike women who lose their fertility (ability to get pregnant) when they reach menopause, men do not lose their fertility. But the hormone change may cause other symptoms. All men have different experiences — some men’s hormone levels go down more than others, and some men have more symptoms than others.
Treatment of low testosterone due to aging with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is controversial. The benefits of TRT are not clear, and it may increase the risk of prostate cancer. While certain men who have symptoms related to abnormally low testosterone may benefit from testosterone replacement therapy, it isn′t appropriate treatment for most aging men. While it has been shown to help some men with low testosterone, TRT has risks, especially for men with certain health conditions such as prostate cancer and heart disease — and it may not improve your symptoms. More studies need to be done to determine the effectiveness and safety of TRT in aging men, and who can benefit most from this type of treatment. As it turned out with hormone replacement for women, TRT may have possible long-term risks that are not yet known.
Talk to your doctor about sexual problems. Erectile dysfunction and other sexual issues are common as men get older. Your doctor can help you find the best way to cope. Medical treatment, lifestyle changes or changes to the dose or types of medications you take may help
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Tags: aging male syndrome, testosterone replacement therapy, erectile disfunction, erectile dysfunction, testosterone, male menopause, meopause
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