Is there such a thing?
My honey has joked about his moodiness and calls it his “manopause”…but it made me wonder…could it be a real thing? We hear so much about menopause and some of suffer through it. Do men face something similar?
Come to find out men, like women, are faced with a decline in hormones as they age. It can be referred to as male menopause, andropause, or more light heartedly manopause. Much like menopause, it affects people differently.
It is, quite simply, a decline in testosterone.
Symptoms
Much like menopause, there are range of potential symptoms and some people may experience none while others experience many. There can also be cardiovascular and bone density concerns resulting from this condition. The most common symptoms are:
- Reduced sex drive
- Irritability and moodiness
- Low energy
- Loss of muscle mass/strength
- Increase in body fat
Is any of this sounding familiar, ladies?
Diagnosis
If you research medical journals and websites, you will find the same maddeningly vague information you find about menopause. There are testosterone levels that the medical community uses to track this condition, but there are also accounts of men affected with symptoms that aren’t within in the “zone”. There are also natural symptoms of aging that have to be ruled out before manopause can be diagnosed. In short, it’s not a straight path to an answer and, no offense intended, but generally men do not tend to be wonderful advocates of their own health and well-being.
Andropause or manopause can start to impact men in their 40’s when all of our hormones start to slowly decline. It’s also an incredibly sensitive topic.
I’ve tried broaching it with male friends and it is immediately dismissed with uncomfortable laughter. I only have a single male friend who has openly shared his experiences (and treatment) with me.
Treatment
Can it be treated? Sort of. Generally treatment centers around replacing the declining hormone. As with menopause treatments, there are risks and they have to be reviewed with your family physician. Lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, stress reduction can help alleviate some symptoms.
Testosterone can be administered via injection, capsules, gels and skin patches. To make it even more challenging, some men’s estrogen balances can go out of whack as well.
If you’re aware of the side effects of hormone replacement therapies for women, the same issues exist for men. Risk factors related to other health concerns need to be discussed and monitored by your physician.
The Bottom Line
Manopause is a real thing and we can do our part in supporting our loved ones by gently and caringly opening the conversation. If it can be diagnosed and treated, it can result in an improved quality of life.
We will all (hopefully) spend more than half of our lives in this menopause/manopause state so the sooner we work on addressing it head on, the sooner we can get back to the active, vibrant, youthful lives we want to lead!
Disclaimer: I am not a physician nor do I have any medical knowledge beyond what I am able to research online. I found this topic fascinating and thought other people might find it helpful. Start with your family physician and address the entire range of health concerns with those individuals who are best positioned to help us navigate these changes as our bodies…grow wiser. 😉
