What are the Causes and Symptoms of Andropause

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As a part of natural process of aging, our hormone levels decrease. For women, this process is very fast and lasts 5-10 years. This is what we have known as menopause. The similar process happens to men, but not on a such abrupt and disturbing way. Male in general, go through the period of hormonal changes gradually and that is why the men often fail to recognize this shift. In men, this process takes place 20-30 years, where the level of testosterone declining is about 10% for every 10 years. This process is, for the first time recognized, reported and published in a Journal of the American Medical Association in 1940’s. Today, several opposed theories exist together, some of them support the idea of men’s menopause i.e. andropause, and some deny it. Nevertheless, there is medical evidence that the men’s transition through aging is a gradual process that takes few decades and is followed by lowering testosterone, which in turn causes other health problems, such as heart disease and weak bones. However, let us consider the following text from the article “Andropause” written by MedBroadcast Clinical Team and take a close look at the factors that cause andropause and its symptoms.

The decrease in testosterone is an important factor in men suspected of having andropause. However, as men age, not only does the body start making less testosterone, but also the levels of another hormone calledsex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which pulls usable testosterone from the blood, begins to increase. SHBG binds some of the available testosterone circulating in the blood. The testosterone that is not bound to the SHBG hormone is called bioavailable testosterone, meaning it is available for use by the body.

Men who experience symptoms associated with andropause have lowered amounts of bioavailable testosterone in their blood. Therefore, tissues in the body that are stimulated by testosterone receive a lower amount of it, which may cause various physical and possibly mental changes in a person such as mood swings or fatigue.

Although symptoms may vary from person to person, common symptoms of men going through andropause include:
• low sex drive
• difficulties getting erections or erections that are not as strong as usual
• lack of energy
• depression
• irritability and mood swings
• loss of strength or muscle mass
• increased body fat
• hot flashes

Complications associated with andropause include an increased risk of cardiovascular problems and osteoporosis (brittle bones).

If the lowering testosterone is the outcome of the aging process and not the part of any other health issue, then the enhancement of our lifestyle is very important. If we adopt the new habits of a healthy lifestyle, such as more exercising, more walking and spending time in nature, eating healthy food, getting enough sleep and decreasing stress level can slow the whole process of testosterone reduction. The type of nutrition with the low carbohydrate such as bread, pasta, potato, corn, rice can make the biggest effect on our health. This type of diet can reduce our weight, decrease the risk of diabetes and maintain the level of testosterone. Whatever we choose to help us improve our lifestyle, the most important thing is to focus on the positive outcome and friendly and loving surroundings. That can make the huge difference.