Men's Health: Coping with Andropause
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.
