Top 10 Ways To Cope With Andropause (aka Man-O-Pause)

by Andrew Pacholyk, MS. L.Ac

As men age, they can experience a phenomenon, which is similar to female menopause, called Andropause. By the time a man reaches the age of 30, testosterone levels begin dropping by about 10 percent every decade. Young men often have testosterone levels exceeding 1000ng/dl. Look at the comparison of an 80 year-old men, whose average testosterone is 200ng/dl.

Between the ages of 40 and 55, bodily changes occur very gradually in men and may be accompanied by changes in attitudes and moods, fatigue, a loss of energy, sex drive and physical agility. In addition, attitudes, psychological stress, alcohol, injuries or surgery, medications, obesity and infections can contribute to its onset. This also seems to happen at a time in a man’s life when they begin to question their accomplishments, values and direction in life. Therefore, it is often hard to realize that the changes that are occurring are often related to more than just external situations.

Although age does play a factor in testosterone levels, there is no way of predicting who will experience andropause symptoms and to what degree of severity. Neither is it predictable at what age symptoms will occur in a particular individual. Each man’s symptoms may be different. It has been shown that a man’s physical health and mental well-being can play apart in the varying degrees of signs and symptoms. Men who eat right, exercise on a regular basis and are content in love and work, seem to experience symptoms, much less and or later in life than those men who are obese, physically unfit, unhappy or depressed.

Productivity is at the center of a man’s existence. A man’s productivity is what gets him noticed and appreciated. This helps him climb the ladder of success, bringing home the “bacon” and be recognized as the bread winner. As he ages, the productivity tends to switch to self-satisfying tasks and those, which give him purpose.

The Scoop on Human Growth Hormones (HGH) Some scientific evidence shows that trophic factors, such as growth hormone, estrogen, and testosterone, may help combat the aging process. Growth hormone, in particular, may reduce frailty and help older people maintain independence, but studies are showing mixed results. The National Institutes on Aging (NIA) in Bethesda, Md., was awarded grants to eight researchers to study the HGH in 1992. To this day, studies are mixed in their results. Taking growth hormones may cause sometimes, serious side effects, including carpal tunnel syndrome, worsening of diabetes, high triglyceride levels and fluid retention leading to congestive heart failure. “The clinical usefulness remains unclear,” the NIA said in a statement.

Top 10 Ways To Cope With Andropause

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