Mens Health: Do Men Get Menopause Too?

This is a sponsored post. Thanks to Rahim Habib, ND for this article. He is a registered naturopathic doctor at www.FamilyNaturopath.ca who has a general family practice, with a special interest in helping patients comprehensively detoxify their bodies for preventative and therapeutic benefit.  He also has a special interest in children’s learning and behavioural health, and chronic conditions in adults. In his spare time, he is a writer for Bell Lifestyle Products www.belllifestyleproducts.com, a natural supplements and herbs company located across 7000+ stores across the U.S and Canada.

Just as women’s hormone levels change through life, the same is true for men.  Yes, men have their own form of menopause, called andopause, or manopause.  Technically, it is referred to testosterone deficiency syndrome, since it is due to the declining levels of the hormone testosterone.  When men are in their 30s, testosterone levels start to decline at the rate of approximately 1-2% each year.  Symptoms of testosterone deficiency tend to surface between 40-80 years of age, though the severity and types of symptoms can be very broad.

Symptoms of Male Menopause:

• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Loss of muscle mass
• Low libido
• Irritability
• Hot flashes & night sweats
• Loss of motivation
• Disturbed sleep
• Reduced erectile function
• Thinning hair
• Increased abdominal fat
• Mood changes
• Osteoporosis
• Low sperm and infertility
• Male breast formation
• Memory loss

Many of these symptoms are quite disturbing and usually the initial symptoms include fatigue and mood changes.  To know if you are experiencing this issue, it is important to get tested for your testosterone levels and other related tests. 

Treatment of Andropause

Medical treatment typically includes testosterone replacement therapy, and other hormones may also be recommended.  There are risks involved with hormone medications, just as there are for women taking estrogen-based medications for menopause.  It is important to speak with your primary health care provider to know your medical treatment options.

Naturopathic Treatment Perspective

A naturopathic approach will address underlying factors that can lead to significant improvement.  For example, some hormone imbalances relate to inadequate nutrition and diet, such as the level of the mineral zinc in the body.  A study appearing in the journal Nutrition found that those who had low levels of zinc had a corresponding lower level of testosterone, and when the zinc was adequately supplemented, the testosterone level rose.

Helping your liver can also assist how your body metabolizes hormones, including testosterone.  Making sure you have adequate restorative sleep and balance in how you perceive and address stress is fundamental.  Herbal medicines can also be used to address hormone function, and may include dandelion, puncture vine, rooibos, nettles and others.

So to answer the question, do men get menopause too?, the answer is yes, though it is associated with different hormones, and yes, there is help.