Tag: erectile dysfunction

“Andropause Mystery: Unraveling Truths about the Male Menopause”, the enlightenment

“Andropause Mystery: Unraveling Truths about the Male Menopause”, the enlightenment of men’s predicament on aging

Andropause is a stage in man’s life when there is a noticeable declination in his hormones. This usually occurs at the late 40’s or early 50’s. The declination of hormonal production extends until the eighties. During this period, physical, emotional, psychological and behavioral manifestations due to declination of hormones become more visible.

Dr. Robert S. Tan, a renowned geriatrician conducted a study about male andropause which he compacted in his book “The Andropause Mystery: Unraveling Truths about the Male Menopause”. The book deals with the physical changes and psychological challenges met by andropausal men. It serves as an eye opener on how to treat such a dilemma.

Andropause symptoms vary from one person to another. It is generally affected by the health condition. However, in the study of Dr. Robert Tan, some men between fifty to seventy years old reported the following symptoms: erectile dysfunction, tiredness, sudden mood sways, night sweats and occasional palpitations.

Aside from the physical changes, psychological changes that challenged their masculinity are augmented during the andropausal years. A man, no matter what age he is, tends to struggle to prove his strong sexuality, composed emotions, intellectual mind, supreme courage, good productivity, and strong personality, character and behavior.

But what happens when he’s in the andropausal years?

The testosterone level of a young man at the age of 15-30 is 1000ng/dl. When he reaches the andopausal stage, an alarming drop of up to 800ng/dl causes the many predicaments in his life.

Dr R. Tan observed that the decrease of testosterone makes andropausal men likely to be more in touch with their feminine side. They become more involved in domestic issues which they use to ignore. They are more attentive to their roles at home such as cooking, house keeping and bonding with their children. They devote much time now for the family and pleasure rather than their business roles. In a sense, the decrease of testosterone level makes them gentler and more domesticated.

On the mental side, judgment becomes less sharp than they used to be during a man’s early age. He loses his accuracy and sharp mind. On some cases, there are reports of impaired memory which can lead to dementia.

The andropausal years can be directed to the question of courage. Men who are in this condition has the tendency to become more conservative and less of a risk taker. Fear can easily stun them. While some men fear death, most andropausal men fear to be too dependent.

The next attack hits the pride of being productive. As a common knowledge, men ought to be dynamic, to be noticed for his achievements and efforts. The source of man’s happiness can be rooted on being the firm foundation of the family. When he reaches the andropausal period, he feels his inability to support his family as well as to manage complex business.

Personality is not a constant thing. Especially for men who are in their andropausal years, they are more susceptible to trimming down their being impulsive, hyperactive and ambitious. Through the passing of time, male menopause has begun to be accepted as part of aging.

But with the help of medical science, there are useful strategies formulated to cope up with the changes brought about by andropause. Careful supervision of a trained physician is though advisable.

Andropause Mystery, Unraveling the Truth about Male Menopause and Conquering

Andropause Mystery, Unraveling the Truth about Male Menopause and Conquering its Symptoms

When a man enters the age of forty, he begins to experience the awkward feeling of confusion, split personality and stressfulness. He tends to lose his sense of purpose as well as his former self. He is craving for the new order of things, more ventures and is spinning out of control.

In the quest to understand this crisis, series of studies are undertaken. Even the medical science allots time to formulate possible formulas to find the remedy on its symptoms. There are creams, pellets, pills and even surgeries that are deemed to resolve the crisis.

But what is really in the core of this predicament? Dr. Robert S. Tan constructed his book of Andropause mystery: unraveling the truths about male menopause in the pursuit to explain the circumstances and why they happen to a man.

According to Dr. Robert Tan, menopause or the declination of hormonal levels comes to pass to both men and women. For men, such transition period is called andropause. The period usually strikes at forty when age normally causes internal troubles to almost everyone. Subsequently, internal changes had exterior manifestations in terms of social, career and family interactions.

Furthermore, Dr. Robert Tan added that as the man reaches the age of 50-70, the symptoms become more visible and provoked. Symptoms such as declination of levels of virility and energy accompanied by easily being exhausted, rapid mood sways and palpitations appear. Most men report their erectile dysfunction as the most notable event during andropause. Apart from this, Dr. Tans patients also complained of their being nervous, irritable and depressed.

Palpitations are due to the decrease of the testosterone level caused by over reaction of the autonomic system. It must be noted that it is natural for men who are suffering from andropause.

Formerly active men who used to be directed to their careers and power enhancement suddenly become close to family and their friends. However, there are some who preferred to find a new set up on their lifestyle which will turn them from the confusion and depression of andropause period.

The medical science has prepared remedies to relieve these symptoms. The problem is that most men do not submit to seeing a doctor even for health reasons. The reason is that it hits their masculine pride to be thought of as either vulnerable or dependent. This becomes a challenge to most wives.

One way to convince men to see the doctor is by accompanying him to a trained and understanding expert. By going together, the doctor can fully extract the needed information from the couple. However, there will also be times when the interview would be held independently to do away with the inhibitions.

As part of the clinical study, the following things are being checked as andropause basis: hair loss, shrinkage of testicles, decrease of libido and sex drive, erectile dysfunction, exhaustion, depression, decrease of muscle strength, oligospermia, and decrease in bone density.

Since the andropause stage could be very stressful among men, it is advisable that wives should become more understanding and supportive. Andropausal men should be encouraged to organize himself, to manage his alcohol and cigarette consumption, to relax, to eat healthy foods and to exercise.

Andropause is another profound journey which needs the positive involvement of the family. Not only men shall beat the odds, but everyone who loves him.

Male Menopause: How Treatments Work

Menopause is what women experience when they reach a certain age where their bodies stop producing hormones. It is a point where women will no longer be able to reproduce and it is also a point where their lives will change.

However, it is also a fact that males also experience this kind of condition. It has been found that men will also experience the so-called male menopause when they reach a certain age. But unlike women where they stop producing hormones instantly, men experience a decline in production of hormones.

Sometimes, male menopause is also called the mid-life crisis where male hormone levels drop that often results to depression, anxiety, and decline of interest in sex. As a male, you have to prepare to face this condition because when you reach a certain age (usually at late 50’s to early 60’s), you will also experience this condition.

First of all, you need to be able to identify the signs and symptoms of male menopause. Usually, the symptoms are very much like what a female experiences when they go through menopause. It will include depression, irritability, sadness, low interest in sex, anxiety, hot flashes, sweating, erectile dysfunction, concentration problems, and memory problems.

Erectile dysfunction can also be caused by other conditions, such as a disease. However, the low testosterone level can also contribute to this condition.

If you suspect that you are going through male menopause, it is recommended that you should consult your doctor about it first before jumping into a conclusion and getting treated for it. The doctor will conduct a series of tests to confirm that you are really going through male menopause. To do this, the doctor will test your testosterone level and also your symptoms. If it is indeed male menopause, the doctor can recommend treatments to ease the symptoms.

Today, there are already treatments for male menopause where it can make it easier for you to cope up with the condition. It will not necessarily mean that it can treat the condition, but you have to consider that the treatment’s aim for male menopause, like female menopause, is to lessen the symptoms.

There is hormone replacement therapy for men who have low testosterone level. This treatment can help you lessen the symptoms associated with male menopause. This treatment is called testosterone replacement therapy. With this treatment, you can lessen the effects of male menopause and can definitely help you go through it.

In fact, this therapy has been found effective. It gradually increased the muscle mass, the mental functioning, bone density and it also enabled men to get interested in sex again.

However, testosterone replacement therapy should only be done with close supervision of a professional. Too much of testosterone injected in your body can produce unwanted side effects. The professional will be able to adjust the doses in accordance with the effects you experience during your first testosterone replacement therapy.

In time and also after a few sessions, the professional will be able to know the correct dosage for you.

If you cannot tolerate the injections, there are also oral capsules that you can take for this therapy. There are also testosterone patches where it can provide a steady release of testosterone.

If you dont want this therapy through injection, through oral capsules, or through patches, you can consider getting implants. The testosterone implants are inserted in the lower abdomen or hip under anesthetic. This can provide treatment that can last up to 6 months.

These are the treatments that you can consider when you are going through male menopause. So, if you are at that certain age where sex doesn’t interest you anymore, and where you are more motherly, you can consider getting a testosterone replacement therapy. Always remember that this therapy should only be done with close supervision of a professional to avoid unwanted side effects.

Male Menopause: Symptoms and Treatment

The term “male menopause” is used to refer to the condition of men who have hormone levels drop after mid-life.

Male menopause is a subject of controversy in the medical society. In the case of women, menopause is related with the termination of a bodily operation, like when the monthly menstruation periods stop. Also, a critical drop in the hormone levels in women occurs along with menopause. For these reasons, doctors are debating on whether male menopause really exists.

In the case of men in their middle and elderly years, smaller quantities of testosterone are being created by the testicles. This is believed to be the underlying reasons behind the occurrence of symptoms of male menopause.

Men with menopause usually suffer from irritability, sleep disturbance, low sex drive, sweating, anxiety, sadness, memory problems, and erectile dysfunction.

In most cases, erectile dysfunction may be caused by other disorders. But testosterone deficiency may be one possibility.

It is important that men who suffer from symptoms related to low levels of testosterone be subjected to medical investigations like blood tests to evaluate testosterone levels.

Other reasons for having short testosterone levels include testicular dysfunction and probable inherited features.

As a treatment, hormone replacement therapy is being recommended for men with low levels of testosterone and symptoms that come with it.

Hormone replacement may not be applicable to older men who seek treatment for their erectile dysfunction unless they actually have very minimal levels of androgen. As for younger men with known hormone deficiency, it has been proven that nominal doses of testosterone can improve interest in sex.

Testosterone replacement therapy, which is also called as androgen replacement therapy, aims to reduce the symptoms brought about by male menopause. This method is a lifelong treatment, since testosterone deficiency is generally a permanent condition.

Testosterone replacement therapy is usually given as an oral prescription, implants, or injections.

The injection of testosterone is usually carried out once every two weeks.

The oral drugs are especially prescribed to those who can’t stand injections or implants.

The testosterone implants, which are being inserted under the skin of the buttock or abdomen work for a period of months. The implant works by releasing testosterone directly into the bloodstream.

Androgen therapy, however, comes with potential side effects and risks.

With low testosterone levels, the prostate tends to shrink. Hormone replacement therapy cannot recover a physically reduced prostate since it does not have influence in the levels of prostate specific antigen.

Androgen therapy may not be a cause of increased risk of prostate cancer for those who have naturally greater testosterone levels in the same age bracket.

On the other hand, the safety of hormone replacement therapy and its possible effects on the prostate, mental functioning, and cardiovascular system still need to undergo proper researches. Moreover, there is also a need to assess the probable benefits of androgen therapy on the bones and muscles.

Androgen therapy is said to increase the risk of heart diseases, although researches on this subject are uncertain. It is a known fact, however, that those with low testosterone levels have been found among heart attack victims. This opens the possibility that hormone replacement therapy could help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Older men undiagnosed of prostate cancer should also take caution when being applied with androgens.

Sleep apnea, or the cessation of breathing during sleep, is also considered as a rare risk with hormone therapy.