A Guide in Surviving Male Menopause for Men and Women

The male menopause or andropause is a condition that all men will go through once they reach a certain age. It is something that everybody should know how to deal with, especially men and their spouse.

This condition is very similar to female’s menopause condition where there are also related symptoms. The cause of andorpause or male menopause is the decline of hormones as they age.

If you think men are spared from menopause, you should think again. The andropause condition 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 at certain age, 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, career, and power 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 the menopause.

There will also be physical changes associated with andropause, such as loss of hair in the armpits and axilla, shirking 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. Androgen’s is 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 teach their husbands to know how to deal with it too. Here are some ways women can teach their husbands to cope up with the inevitable changes that andropause can cause:

A Woman's Partner Status Found To Be Relevant For Her Interest In The Opposite Sex

A study by neuroscientist Heather Rupp and her team found that a woman’s partner status influenced her interest in the opposite sex. In the study¹, published in the March issue of Human Nature, women both with and without sexual partners showed little difference in their subjective ratings of photos of men when considering such measures as masculinity and attractiveness.

“Andropause Mystery: Unraveling Truths about the Male Menopause”, the enlightenment of men’s predicament on aging

Andropause is a stage in man’s life when there is a noticeable declination in his hormones. This usually occurs at the late 40’s or early 50’s. The declination of hormonal production extends until the eighties. During this period, physical, emotional, psychological and behavioral manifestations due to declination of hormones become more visible.

Dr. Robert S. Tan, a renowned geriatrician conducted a study about male andropause which he compacted in his book “The Andropause Mystery: Unraveling Truths about the Male Menopause”. The book deals with the physical changes and psychological challenges met by andropausal men. It serves as an eye opener on how to treat such a dilemma.

Andropause symptoms vary from one person to another. It is generally affected by the health condition. However, in the study of Dr. Robert Tan, some men between fifty to seventy years old reported the following symptoms: erectile dysfunction, tiredness, sudden mood sways, night sweats and occasional palpitations.

Aside from the physical changes, psychological changes that challenged their masculinity are augmented during the andropausal years. A man, no matter what age he is, tends to struggle to prove his strong sexuality, composed emotions, intellectual mind, supreme courage, good productivity, and strong personality, character and behavior.

But what happens when he’s in the andropausal years?

The testosterone level of a young man at the age of 15-30 is 1000ng/dl. When he reaches the andopausal stage, an alarming drop of up to 800ng/dl causes the many predicaments in his life.

Dr R. Tan observed that the decrease of testosterone makes andropausal men likely to be more in touch with their feminine side. They become more involved in domestic issues which they use to ignore. They are more attentive to their roles at home such as cooking, house keeping and bonding with their children. They devote much time now for the family and pleasure rather than their business roles. In a sense, the decrease of testosterone level makes them gentler and more domesticated.

On the mental side, judgment becomes less sharp than they used to be during a man’s early age. He loses his accuracy and sharp mind. On some cases, there are reports of impaired memory which can lead to dementia.

The andropausal years can be directed to the question of courage. Men who are in this condition has the tendency to become more conservative and less of a risk taker. Fear can easily stun them. While some men fear death, most andropausal men fear to be too dependent.

The next attack hits the pride of being productive. As a common knowledge, men ought to be dynamic, to be noticed for his achievements and efforts. The source of man’s happiness can be rooted on being the firm foundation of the family. When he reaches the andropausal period, he feels his inability to support his family as well as to manage complex business.

Personality is not a constant thing. Especially for men who are in their andropausal years, they are more susceptible to trimming down their being impulsive, hyperactive and ambitious. Through the passing of time, male menopause has begun to be accepted as part of aging.

But with the help of medical science, there are useful strategies formulated to cope up with the changes brought about by andropause. Careful supervision of a trained physician is though advisable.