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HEALTHY REASONING: Male Menopause Is A Reality

HEALTHY REASONING: Male Menopause Is A Reality

By Allan Bucka Jones
Pride Health Columnist

If a man is experiencing erectile dysfunction, reduced sexual desire, sleep disturbances such as insomnia, increased sleepiness, increased body fat, a decrease in motivation or self-confidence, feeling sad or depressed, or have trouble concentrating or remembering things, these may be signs that he is going through male menopause.

We are all used to talking about menopause in relation to women, with hot flashes being the most talked about manifestation. The hot flashes are usually accompanied by all or some of the following: irregular periods, vaginal dryness, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, weight gain, slowed metabolism, thinning hair, dry skin and loss of breast fullness. These signs are due to reproductive hormonal changes, and are part of the perimenopause phase. Strictly speaking, a woman is not in menopause, until she has completed 12 straight months without a period.

Hormone changes are a natural part of aging, and men, like women, experience a reproductive hormone plunge. However, this reproductive hormonal plunge in men is more gradual than the occurrence in women. A man’s testosterone level usually peaks in his 20s. After age 30, the average man’s testosterone level declines 1 percent each year. Thus, by age 70, a man’s testosterone level might reach 50 percent of his pre-menopause level.

The term “male menopause” is sometimes used to describe decreasing testosterone levels or a reduction in the bioavailability of testosterone related to aging. Female menopause and so-called male menopause are two different situations. In women, ovulation ends and hormone production plummets during a relatively short period of time. In men, hormone production and testosterone bioavailability decline over a period of many years with unclear consequences. Many doctors also use the term “andropause” to describe aging-related hormone changes in men.

A blood test is the only way to diagnose a low testosterone level or a reduction in the bioavailability of testosterone. Some men have a lower than normal testosterone level without signs or symptoms. In this case, no treatment is needed. For others, low testosterone might cause changes in sexual function, changes in sleep patterns, physical and emotional changes.

However, some of these signs and symptoms can be caused by underlying factors other than low testosterone, including medication side effects, thyroid problems, depression and excessive alcohol use. There are also conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea, that might affect testosterone levels. Once these conditions are identified and treated, testosterone typically will return to a normal level.

If a middle aged man feels “out of sorts” and thinks he is experiencing signs and symptoms that might be the result of a low testosterone level, he should speak to his family doctor. The doctor will evaluate possible causes for the way the man is feeling, and suggest treatment options.

A man cannot boost his natural testosterone production, so he has to work with his doctor, to identify and treat any health issues that might be causing or contributing to your signs and symptoms.

Medication side effects and other causes.

Treating aging-related low testosterone with testosterone replacement therapy is controversial. For some men, testosterone replacement therapy relieves bothersome signs and symptoms of testosterone deficiency. For others, however, the benefits are not clear and there are possible risks. Testosterone replacement therapy might increase the risk of heart attack, prostate cancer or other health problems. If you want to know if testosterone therapy is right for you, work with your doctor to look at the advantages and disadvantages…and female companions, remember, men too have their own menopause to deal with. 

Allan Bucka Jones is a Health Promoter and Broadcaster. He can be heard on “Allan Bucka Jones LIVE”, Sundays from 3 to 5pm on CHRY 105.5 FM, CHRY RADIO App, www.chry.fm option RDO.to, Rogers Digital Cable 945, Bell Fibe 973 or mobile app TuneIn Radio. You can contact Allan Bucka Jones at allan@jonesandjones.ca.

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