Andropause Vs Menopause – Differences Between The Sexes
Unknown to many men, they also experience the horrors of male menopause, which involves a significant drop in reproductive hormones during middle age, usually between the ages of 40 and 60. The condition is known medically as andropause, testosterone deficiency, viropause, late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), male climacteric, androgen deficiency in the elderly man (ADAM), or partial androgen deficiency in the elderly man (PADAM).
To be more specific, while female menopause occurs when the ovaries stop working and ovulation and menstruation terminate, leading to the sudden decrease and eventual loss of estrogen hormones; alternatively, andropause involves a gradual decrease in the level of testosterone. However, while the former leads to complete infertility, the same does not happen with men. Sexual impotence aside, testosterones and sperm are continually produced, allowing the latter to produce children even into their eighties.
People experience menopause as a natural biological occurrence. However, some other factors are said to contribute to an earlier attack of the condition, such as: excessive alcohol consumption, hormonal deficiencies, obesity, improper diet, hypertension, smoking, medications, lack of exercise, psychological problems, heart disease and lung disease and surgical removal of the ovaries or uterus among women.
The main effect of menopause and andropause is that people constantly return to the stage before puberty, with symptoms that affect not only their hormones, but also their physiological, psychological, social, spiritual and sexual aspects. Notable symptoms that are common to both include: hot flashes and night sweats, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, headaches and dizziness, hair loss, low sex drive, memory loss, poorer judgment, lethargy, weight gain, digestive problems, gingivitis and mouth. problems, incontinence, itching and allergies, vaginal dryness in women and erectile dysfunction in men, difficulty concentrating, irregular heartbeat and sleep disorders.
Midlife crises or psychological and emotional changes are also experienced, such as intermittent mood swings, irritability, depression, and anxiety. Men who undergo andropause become more youthful and childish but with less bravado. They become more emotionally attached to family and friends. They become more maternal and domesticated.
Today, there are medically recognized treatments for both menopause and andropause. The most common is hormone replacement therapy. There is testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for andropause and postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT) for menopause, which help restore hormone levels. However, it is said that when administered incorrectly, TRT can affect sperm production and increase the risk of prostate cancer, stroke, and liver toxicity. Likewise, PHT is said to be a triggering cause of stroke among women. Other symptoms of menopause and andropause are treated for the specific medical condition experienced. The problem seen here is that the condition is not addressed comprehensively and there are still other symptoms left that are not treated.
In either case, people should know that the condition is unavoidable. Both men and women would eventually have to go through menopause. Perhaps, like other health conditions, menopause could be really bearable, except for a few signs that affect interpersonal relationships. The best way to deal with this is for the whole family to be familiar with the condition and its symptoms. Doing so will certainly help how you relate to each other as everyone begins to understand what the loved one is going through.