Health Net

Male menopause, or Andropause, is a condition that all men will go through once they reach a certain age. It’s something that men and their wives should know how to deal with.

This condition is very similar to female menopause where there are also related symptoms. The cause of Andorpause, or male menopause, is the decline of hormones as the male ages.

If you think men are spared from menopause, you should think again. The Andropause conditio, or the male menopause condition, will eventually affect all men once they reach a certain age. This particular condition is associated with the decline of male hormone levels that occurs usually when men reach late 40’s or early 50’s.

The main symptoms of Andropause are erectile dysfunction, or failure to achieve erection, mood changes, night sweats, constant fatigue or tiredness, and also irritability and depression. Some even said that when men are suffering from Andropause, they become more motherly than fatherly. They tend to be focused more on family and friends rather than the natural focus of men on money or career, as in the early life before the Andropausal stage.

Surprisingly, the change isn’t always noticed by men who are going through the Andropausal stage. The men’s spouses do notice it and have constantly said that their husbands are going through male menopause.

There will also be physical changes associated with Andropause, such as loss of hair in the armpits, shrinking of the testicles, lessening of muscle mass, and also decreased muscle strength.

This change is due to the loss of androgens in a man’s body. Androgens are known to be the basic ingredient that makes up masculinity and because of the loss of this ingredient, physical change occurs.

Andropause may cause depression in men and because of their irritability it may also cause depression in their spouses. This is why it is important for women to know how to deal with Andropause and help their husbands to know how to deal with it too.

Some ways women can help their husbands to cope up with the inevitable changes that Andropause can cause are:

• Help your husband to learn to love himself and reward himself, as well as love and reward others. The mood swings that come and go, the depression, the change in interests… all of these things are problably new to your husband. Let him know you are there for him and that he isn’t alone in facing the changes in his body.

• Join in with your husband and get some exercise. Lack of exercise is a known cause of early aging. This is why it is important to encourage men to exercise. This will prolong their youth and also slow down the physical changes that naturally occurs when people age. Wives can exercise with their husbands, encouraging them and getting excerise at the same time.

• Cook healthy meals. Eating right is also one of the best ways to combat Andropause. Cooking healthy meals is good for the body in many ways, not in combating male menopause.

• Help you husband to deal with the changes that are oocuring in his body. Let him know he is still loved and wanted. Help him with hobbies and things that can keep his mind off of the changes occuring. Andropause is inevitable and will eventually happen as men reach a certain age. Helping your husband to deal with it is beneficial for both of you.

These are just some of the ways you can effectively help your husband when they are suffering from Andropause. Always remember that this condition is unavoidable and it is relatively the same as menopause in women. Be there for your husband and help him along the way.

The condition and the symptoms of male menopause, known as Andropause, are comparable to the ones women experience during menopause, and can sometimes be as worse. However male menopause does not affect all men, and not to the same degree in each man. Only some of the men between the age of forty and fifty experience most of the symptoms of male menopause.

All the changes that occur in every man during the male menopausal period, or during Andropause, can affect every aspect of their lives. Male menopause is recognized as a physical condition and manifests in personal, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions. Men also experience difficulties in hormonal fluctuations that affect their sexuality, mood, and personality, just like women.

All men going through male menopausal can experience hormonal changes that greatly affect their lives. The levels of hormones will lower at their mid-life and may have changes which are usually associated with Andropause. It is important to note that every man has a unique personality and their individual levels of hormonal loss may vary widely.

If the level of hormones lowers, it can be the cause a decrease in the sex drive and the general well being of their health. The occurrence of these things will also lead to the increase of depression and possible weight gain and absolutely will change the day to day living as compared to their lives before the onset of male menopause.

During the menopausal period or Andropause, some men can experience problems with regards to impotence. And because of impotency, men are having lowered sexual desires.

How can a man recognize that he is going through that certain stage in life, the menopausal period? There are some symptoms to be aware of. Some are physical, some are psychological, and some are sexual. The following are the symptoms that a male is going through a male menopausal period.

Physical symptoms of Andropause include:

• Recovery from injuries and illness takes longer
• Less endurance for physical activity
• Gaining weight
• Difficulty reading small print
• Loss or thinning of hair
• Sleep disturbances
• Low libido
• Lack of energy

Psychological symptoms of Andropause include:

• Irritability
• Hesitancy or difficulty in making decisions
• Worry and fear for life
• Depression
• Having low self-esteem, self-confidence and joy
• Loss of purpose and direction in life
• Feeling alone, unattractive, and unloved
• Lack of memory and complexity in concentrating
• Mood swings

Sexual symptoms of Andropause include:

• Decreased sex drive
• Fear of sexual impotency
• More relationship problems and fights occurs with regards to sex, love, and intimacy
• Incapacity to erect during intimacy
• Increased of attraction to a much younger opposite sex

All the symptoms that a male can experience during the male menopausal period can be treated. Although males have been suffering from either physical, emotional or sexual symptoms of male menopause, men need to control it not through attempting self-diagnosis but by talking to a doctor. Seeing a doctor and getting treatment for male menopause, or Andropause, will lead to being better informed and getting the proper treatment to alleviate the symptoms of the condition.

Everyone becomes down or sad at times. Life events, or just a bad day can sometimes make us upset, and small things like bad traffic can make us irritable. But when a person experiences constant feelings of sadness and irritability, is exhausted with little or no activity, decreases in social activity or participating in usually enjoyable activities, that person maybe depressed. Symptoms of a depressed person include low self esteem, changing or irregular sleeping patterns, or spending lots of time thinking about things that have gone wrong. At this point in time there is no one known cause for depression, however some theories and studies indicate that severe cases of depression stem from events such as financial problems, relationship troubles, or the loss of a loved one. Sometimes the person’s depression may stem from a trouble childhood or family conflict, especially ones that have to deal with parenting issues or between parents. Other times it could be a completely spontaneous mental problem that arises from seemingly nothing.

Women are twice as prone to depression as men. Women deal with more hormonal factors that give them a predisposition to becoming more likely to be depressed. Factors such as menstrual cycle, miscarriages, premenstrual syndrome and menopause all contribute to the increase in likelihood of a woman becoming depressed. Outside stressors and tensions of caring for children, overworking, and single parenthood is a definite factor in the episodes of depression in women as compared to men. That is not to say that men don’t experience their fair share of stresses. Many men become depressed when they go through issues such as family court, job layoffs, or other huge disappointments.

Although there is no conclusive tests to diagnose depression, a good assessment of a person’s family history or inquires involving physical or chemical abuses that may contribute to the patient’s current mood. Once a diagnosis of some form can be completed most doctors will attempt to treat the depression with medications therapy or a combination of both. The importance of treatment should be stressed as a person who goes without treatment may experience continued negative affects in normal daily functioning, or even violence. Suicide attempts or trying to hurt someone else are all possibilities if the illness is gone untreated for too long. Treatments are usually a combination of drug therapy and professional counseling that requires immense family support. Anti-depressive drugs may be prescribed and have proven to be very successful in the treatment of depression. The family’s support of the person who is coping with symptoms of depression is vitally important to recovery. Expressions of love, appreciation and normal communication should be the role of the family in the treatment of the person experiencing a depressive state. Other treatments are simple and only require adequate sleep, regular exercising, avoiding illegal drugs and alcohol, and eating a healthy diet. Depression is a serious problem that can be treated effectively if caught before severe depression has began to set in. Take the steps now to prevent serious or fatal consequences if you think that you or someone you know is depressed.

If you are feeling depressed yourself, then you should take action. You may have something stressful in your life. If so, remove it. Our time on life is short, and there is no reason why anyone should spend their precious time worrying about something.