The Symptoms of Male Menopause: Learning and Identifying

Today we are going to discuss something that both women and men have long believed was a myth: andropause. That may not mean a lot to many of you. It is better known by a different name – male menopause. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it does exist. Many men actually start exhibiting the signs and symptoms of male menopause when their wives start going through it.

Typically, they are much the same as the symptoms associated with female menopause. Unfortunately, even the menopause through which your wife, mother, sister, or aunt is going is not completely understood. It is not quite a mystery, but it is close enough for kissing. As you can thus imagine, even less is understood about male menopause, at least in terms of why it occurs. Still, we do know a lot about the signs. If you are a man, or if you have a husband or partner within the appropriate age range, you need to familiarize yourself with those signs too. Keeping yourself informed is ultimately the best way to combat the symptoms associated with male menopause.

As mentioned, male menopause is also known as andropause, so named for the hormone called androgen. Andropause – or male menopause, whichever you prefer – basically describes the process wherein a man's body begins producing less testosterone. One of the main differences between make and female menopause is that not every man will go through it. No one knows why, really. They do not really know what causes other men to experience it either. There are however certain outside forces which can trigger it. Various illnesses and depression are the most common culprits. Conditions and health problems which have an affect on testosterone production can also trigger andropause. Things like cardiovascular, heart, and immune diseases are good examples. One thing is certain, male menopause can certainly be devastating for any man who goes through it.

Think about it: testosterone is the primary hormone for men, just like estrogen is for women. It triggers everything from sperm production to physical strength. It actually has an affect on a man's muscles. As such, when a man's testosterone levels drop, everything goes haywire. The imbalance is akin to what happens to women's bodies when they go through menopause. Also like women, a man may begin producing less testosterone when he is still in his twenties, so they can be considerably lower by the time he reaches his fifties.

Another difference between male and female menopause is the subject of fertility. Women can no longer have babies once they are truly in menopause. However men who have gone through andropause are – or at least can still be – fertile. That is why there are so many instances of men siring children well into their eighties. Otherwise, the symptoms are pretty much the same. It really must be said though that men suffer them to a much lesser degree. They can still have night sweats, hot flashes, and the inexplicable combination of fatigue and insomnia. Men in menopause are prone to mood swings, irritability, and a general feeling of malaise. They do not, however, suffer from the same disinterest in intimacy with which most women have to deal.