The Journal of American Medical Association published the first study on the condition most commonly known as male midlife crisis in the 1940s. However, it is in recent years that physicians have started giving the right kind of attention to this condition, which is also known as andropause. Even today, treatment methods are not as comprehensive or structured as they should ideally be, because, in contrast to menopause, andropause is not as commonly known or readily acknowledged as a medical condition.

The failure to recognize this condition as a specific problem has lead to many physicians treating the symptoms of andropause in their patients rather than delving deep to find and treat the real cause. For instance, hair loss that results from andropause may be treated as a cosmetic problem by the physician, who may go on to prescribe treatment to promote hair growth. However, the underlying condition, andropause, is ignored or overlooked and this may lead to unsuccessful treatment of the hair fall problem or create other symptomatic issues for the patient. It is important is for all men to arm themselves with information so that they can recognize symptoms of andropause when they begin to experience them.

What is Andropause?

Although andropause does occur during ‘midlife’ it is not correct to simply write it off as ‘midlife crisis’, or ignore it as a ‘phase’ that will soon blow over. Andropause is actually caused by the gradual decline of testosterone, the primary sex hormone in males. Studies reveal that this decline may even begin as early as during the 30s. The decline is so gradual that most men are unaware of any resulting changes. The effects of andropause may manifest themselves in many ways- weight gain, muscular weaknesses, increased cholesterol etc. These are such common age related changes that it is very easy to make the mistake of overlooking andropause as an underlying cause of these.

Andropause and the Elderly

While the effects of andropause may be easy to overlook in younger men, they do get more visible as you age. Medical experts believe that by the age 70 the levels of testosterone in the male body are reduced by nearly half. This condition is also exacerbated by other existing medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid imbalances and prostate cancer. As these are conditions that usually develop with age, older men are likely to feel the effects of andropause more then younger males. Andropause also hastens the appearance of ageing by causing skin wrinkling. When there is less testosterone in the body, the body loses muscle mass and tends to take on a shrunken appearance.

Treatments for Andropause

TRT or testosterone replacement therapy is a common treatment method for andropause. A bio identical form of testosterone is used in the form of injections, tablets or even creams to replenish the lost hormone in the body. This is one of the more effective treatments for elderly people, especially those who suffer from heart disease or diabetes.

Elderly people also benefit from the use of herbs like Damiana, Muira Puama and Saw Palmetto. As these natural remedies are believed to cause fewer dangerous side effects, many older males suffering from andropause prefer these over other OTC medications.

Author Bio: Sally Grey specializes in writing articles about health, diet, longevity and health specialists like Brenda Rusnak. Brenda Rusnak is a health care specialist who writes about healthy-aging and prevention. For more information about healthy-aging and Brenda Rusnak, check her out at brendarusnak.ca.

Category: Aging
Keywords: Understanding,Andropause, Dealing,with,men,