MENOPAUSE HAS always been associated with age-related hormone changes in women, but a recent study has said it can occur in men also. Male hypogonadism, as it’s called in the medical community, occurs when the testicles do not produce enough testosterone, the hormone that plays a key role in masculine growth and development.
Symptoms of male menopause are fatigue, mood swings, decreased desire for sex, hair loss, lack of concentration and weight gain. Experts estimate that more than five million men are affected but the number may be considerably higher since symptoms are frequently ignored.
When hormone levels drop, men can experience significant mental and physical changes. “This is a highly prevalent disorder. Unfortunately, we estimate that 95 per cent of cases are undiagnosed and therefore untreated. When ignored, symptoms can seriously disrupt one’s quality of life,” said Robert Brannigan, MD, urologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Michael Andruzzi, a 40-year-old man diagnosed with male hypogonadism and a patient at Northwestern Memorial said, “My body was telling me that something wasn’t right. I was always tired, it didn’t matter how much sleep I got, I constantly wanted to take a nap.”
Brannigan explains hormone variations are a normal aspect of getting older. “In females, ovulation comes to an end and hormone production declines in a relatively quick period of time, whereas men experience hormone shifts more slowly, with testosterone levels dropping around one per cent each year beginning in a man’s late thirties,” added Brannigan. —PTI