When we reach the fullness of adulthood, all people experience changes in the body caused by the decrease in hormones. This involves a series of physical and physiological manifestations, as it happens in other life cycles, such as adolescence. This stage is commonly known in women and is called menopause, but its equivalent in the male sex is not known as much, nor is it talked about.
It’s called andropause, male menopause, or late-onset hypogonadism, and it is the phase in which both man’s hormones and sexual capacities and organic functions are diminished. It begins from the age of 40 with a drop in testosterone of 1% annually and, from the age of 50, it decreases by 1.6%.
It has differences from menopause. As we mentioned previously, there is a progression in the decrease in testosterone over time. In fact, andropause does not have a defined duration and can last until the end of life, as well as reduce its incidence or even never appear. Andropause is more difficult to identify than menopause, since the hormonal decline is slower and more progressive. In menopause the changes are very noticeable.
Andropause symptoms
With the decrease in male testosterone production, some manifestations occur in men that can be confused with aging. In order to diagnose this pathology, it is necessary to do an analysis by professionals, where different hormonal levels are analyzed. It should be noted that like menopause, andropause is a transitory period, it is not a disease.
Some of its symptoms are:
- Loss of muscle mass
- Decreased libido
- Bone deterioration
- Humor changes and irritability
- Less mental agility
- Memory loss
- Alterations in ejaculation
- Less erection
- Increased body fat
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Increased risk of heart problems
Can andropause be prevented?
Although there is some disagreement between the medical criteria for andropause, it seems that the commonalities are that, in andropause, there are large variations in testosterone and the presence of clinical symptoms such as depression.
In addition, there is evidence that indicates that this period can be aggravated and advanced in time due to various factors. Therefore, some doctors advise not only to treat it as a hormonal issue, but also the correct thing to do would be to approach it as a quality of life issue. It is not clear that it can be prevented, but with healthy habits it could be delayed in time.
Some risk factors that advance and worsen andropause are:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Bad eating habits
- Consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs
- Heart diseases
- Metabolic diseases
- Stress
Treatment and tips
Treatment will depend on each person, because there may be more problems in addition to testosterone deficiency, so a good medical diagnosis is important. For the decrease in male hormonal levels, a hormone replacement therapy treatment is usually done, but this should always be advised by a doctor. This treatment improves the increase in libido, body composition and quality of life.
It is important that the patient make some changes in their habits to help raise testosterone levels, as well as avoid alcohol consumption and control stress levels.
Some of the beneficial habits are:
- Staying mentally and physically active
- Healthy eating with quality proteins
- Daily sunlight exposure
- Sleep between 7 and 9 hours a day
- Weight training 2 to 3 days a week
- Cardiovascular exercise
- Joint exercises