Male Menopause

Testosterone is the male sex hormone and it creates and releases sperm. When men reach a certain age, it is believed that some men experience a decrease in testosterone leading to male menopause, also known as andropause.

Unlike women, who all go through menopause, not all men experience male menopause; why some men have male menopause and some don’t is unknown, according to a health Web site. When a man is in his teens, his hormone levels peak, but sometime in his mid to late 20s those hormone levels will drop.

Hormones will often stay at a healthy level, but some men see a significant drop occur in their 40s and by the time their 50s approach, their hormones are at an all-time low. Male menopause is a natural occurrence for some but often times it is triggered by illness, depression or obesity.  Certain illnesses that attack the heart and lungs can make a man susceptible to male menopause, as well as men who have autoimmune diseases or cancer.

Male menopause symptoms are similar but not as intense as they are for women with menopause. Men are known to not seek medical attention for male menopause due to embarrassment. When they do go see a doctor, they usually prescribe a Testosterone Replacement Therapy, which like estrogen replacement for women, helps brings up the hormone level.  Once the hormones are up to a healthy level, the intensity of the symptoms will decrease.