Male menopause - causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Male menopause is something that is not talked about too often. It is often said that men get naughty at the age of forty. However, the other side of the coin is that they can also start experiencing some of the symptoms of male menopause, a topic that has not been discussed very openly till now. Male menopause is characterized by symptoms like an increase in irritability, depression, memory loss and other physiological changes as well. In some cases, the psychological changes that occur have been so severe that they have led people to get suicidal tendencies. Other symptoms that male menopause brings in its wake are lack of self confidence, thinning of bones, loss of pubic and body hair, anxiety, disinterest in sexual activities and more. The one thing to note, however, is that these symptoms do not occur all of a sudden and therefore may not be associated with an event like menopause, as it is in women. Since the changes that occur are gradual in nature, they are sometimes mistaken for general mid life crisis symptoms. Statistically speaking, there are more than 400 million men who face symptoms of menopause between the ages of 40 and 45.

The cause of a male menopause is extremely simple. As one ages the levels of testosterone in the body reduce. Testosterone is the sex hormone that defines male characteristics and is generally present in abundance in the male body. As the levels fall below a certain level menopause treatment may also be required in some cases.

The symptoms of a male menopause in some ways are similar to those of a woman menopause. Irritability, memory loss and lack of self confidence are some symptoms that are common. Physiological symptoms differ and include loss of pubic and body hair, development of soft breasts and a lack of desire in sexual activities.

Menopause in men is different from a female one in certain ways. A woman menopause occurs over a short period of time and within three to four years is complete. Males experience a gradual change in their bodies and therefore the symptoms are less easily recognizable than a woman menopause.

Other than testosterone replacement therapy, in which artificial testosterone is injected in the body, there is no other treatment that has been discovered for male menopause. This is mainly due to the fact that a low level of testosterone is the main cause behind the condition. However the situation can be managed without the replacement therapy also.

The one critical manner in which menopause treatment can be handled is by accepting that the change is a physiological change and has nothing to so with maleness. It needs to be recognized that a male menopause is an inevitable event and changes associated with the same need to be managed psychologically and physiologically as well.