Unknown to many men, they also experience the horrors of male menopause, which involves a significant drop in reproductive hormones during middle age, usually between the ages of forty and sixty. The condition is known medically as andropause, testosterone deficiency, viropause, late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), male climacteric, androgen deficiency in the aging man (ADAM), or partial androgen deficiency in the aging man (PADAM).
To be more specific, while female menopause occurs when the ovaries stop working and ovulation and menstruation ends, leading to the sudden decline and eventual loss of estrogen hormones; alternatively, andropause involves a gradual decline in the level of testosterone. However, while the former leads to total infertility, the same is not true for men. Sexual impotence aside, testosterones and sperm are continuously produced, allowing the latter to produce children even into their eighties.
People experience menopause as a natural biological event. However, some other factors are said to contribute to an earlier onset of the condition, including: excessive alcohol consumption, hormonal deficiencies, obesity, improper diet, hypertension, smoking, medication, lack of exercise, psychological problems, heart disease, and lung infections, and surgical removal of the ovaries or uterus among women.
The main effect of both menopause and andropause is that people constantly return to the stage before puberty, with symptoms that affect not only their hormones but also their physiological, psychological, social, spiritual and sexual aspects. Notable symptoms that are common to both include: hot flashes and night sweats, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches and dizziness, hair loss, low sex drive, memory loss, poorer judgment, lethargy, weight gain, digestive problems, oral and gum problems. problems, incontinence, itching and allergies, vaginal dryness for women and erectile dysfunction for men, difficulty concentrating, irregular heartbeat and sleep disturbances.
Midlife crises or psychological and emotional changes, such as intermittent mood swings, irritability, depression, and anxiety, are also experienced. Men who undergo andropause become more boyish and childlike, but with less bravado. They grow up to be more emotionally attached to family and friends. They become more maternal and domesticated.
There are now medically recognized treatments for both menopause and andropause. The most common is hormone replacement therapy. There is Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) for andropause and Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (PHT) for menopause, which help restore hormone levels. However, it is said that when administered incorrectly, TRT can affect sperm production and increase the risk of prostate cancer, stroke, and liver toxicity. PHT is also said to be a triggering cause of stroke among women. Other symptoms of menopause and andropause are treated depending on the specific medical condition experienced. The problem seen here is that the condition is not comprehensively addressed and there are still other symptoms left untreated.
In any case, people should know that the condition is unavoidable. Both men and women would eventually have to experience menopause. Perhaps, like other health conditions, menopause might actually be bearable except for a few hints 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 you relate to each other as everyone begins to understand what your loved one is going through.
