While female menopause has been a subject of common knowledge for many years, the discovery of male menopause has only recently been made. While there have been many questions and much speculation regarding the prospect of male menopause, research studies have shown that it is indeed a very real psychological phenomenon that has certain similarities and distinct differences from the more well-known female menopause.
While female menopause can occur anywhere between ages 45 and 60, and in extreme cases as early as age 30, male menopause takes longer to set in. Testosterone begins to gradually diminish after age 40, and by age 55 the testosterone levels in the bloodstream are significantly lower than those of just 10 years earlier. By 80 years old, testosterone levels retreat to pre-pubescent levels.
Male menopause was first discovered by doctors Gordon Myers and Carl Heller in 1944. They conducted studies showing the benefits of testosterone treatment and compared symptoms with those normally associated with female menopause, but their findings went unnoticed and unrecognized. Men were not ready to accept that they could suffer menopause as women were known to. Any symptoms were hurriedly explained away as having a midlife crisis. Men were considered to bear more stress than women, including the need to provide for a family or to run a private business.
Testosterone therapy was equated with the abuses made by athletes and the use of male hormone replacement therapy was not well received. Finally hormone replacement therapy made a breakthrough with women, displaying palpable anti-aging qualities. Men did not want to be left behind and finally took notice and admitted that hormone therapy could hold some benefit for them.
Symptoms of Male Menopause
The symptoms of male menopause can be quite similar to those experienced by females, and can be just as intense. Unlike women, though, not all men are affected by male menopause. Approximately 40 percent of all men between ages 40 and 60 will experience some symptoms of male menopause, including lethargy, mood swings, irritability, depression, insomnia, hot flashes, decreased libido, loss of lean muscle mass and dense bone mass, weakness, and difficulty sustaining erections.
If unaware of the potential for these changes, they can be devastating when they happen. These feelings can be increased if a partner does not understand what is happening, leading to doubt and anxiety. This, in turn, can lead to sexual dysfunction.
Studies have shown that 51 percent of men between 40 and 70 years old have experienced some degree of impotence, the occurrence of which may be attributable to factors outside of male menopause. Over 40 percent of men remain sexually active to age 70 and beyond, ruling out male menopause as the primary consideration in erectile dysfunction.
The symptoms of male menopause may include, but are not limited to: decreased sex drive, lack of energy, a decrease in sexual endurance, lost height, a decreased level of perceived enjoyment of life, a feeling of being sad or grumpy, weakened erections, a deterioration of ability in sports, falling asleep following dinner, and a decrease in work performance. While one or two of these symptoms alone may not indicate the onset of male menopause, the combination of any four symptoms or the combination of a decreased sex drive with weaker erections may indicate candidates who could benefit from hormone replacement therapy.
