Symptoms of Male Menopause and Methods for Treating Them

by Article Poster on October 26, 2009

Male menopause, or andropause, is the period in a man’s life when his hormone levels begin to fall. Male menopause symptoms include erectile dysfunction, problems with memory, sweating, anxiety, depression, disturbed sleep, short temper, and a lack of interest in sex. Though other health disorders can cause erectile inaction, testosterone deficiency is a strong factor that can affect it.

Menopause in women is related to the stopping of a bodily operation, such as when monthly menstruation no longer happens. Additionally, a critical drop in a woman’s hormone levels takes place with menopause. For men of middle and elderly age, the testicles create only low amounts of testosterone. Male menopause symptoms are usually linked to this.

Those men who are showing signs of male menopause symptoms and have lower than normal levels of testosterone, are at times candidates for hormone replacement therapy. Unless they have unusually low androgen levels, hormone replacement will not work for older men with erectile dysfunction. Small doses of testosterone can revitalize otherwise hormone-deficient young men and increase their sex drive.

Although male menopause symptoms can’t be cured, they can be alleviated by ongoing hormone therapy. Because testosterone deficiency is typically permanent, treatment will need to take place for the rest of the patient’s life. If you want to undergo testosterone therapy, you have the option to take this hormone as a pill, or by using implants or hormone shots. Patients typically undergo semiweekly injections of testosterone. For those who cannot tolerate implants or injections, there are oral treatments available.

Testosterone implants, inserted under the skin of the abdomen or buttocks, work for months. The implant releases testosterone straight into the blood.

Androgen therapy comes with adverse reactions and risks. As testosterone levels decrease, there’s shrinkage in the prostate gland. But, hormone replacement therapy won’t be able to make it big again. Persons with higher testosterone levels run the risk of prostate cancer when they undergo androgen therapy.

The potential risks of men going on hormones for menopausal symptoms are being analyzed through testing the prostate gland, cognitive processes, and the distribution of blood. The effects of androgen therapy on muscle and bone remain unclear.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that androgen therapy might increase the risk of heart disease, however the scientific evidence is unclear. However, it is definite that some heart attack victims have had low testosterone levels. In addition to addressing male menopause symptoms, there is a possibility that hormone replacement therapy might assist in preventing cardiovascular disease.

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