Male Menopause

‘Menopause’ is an age-related condition that affects men during their 40s. Dr. Foster, the medical director of U.K.’s H3 Health, discussed what to expect as we get older and what the latest treatments are in 2021 so that you can #befitover40 with your body and mind.

What is Male menopause?

Men’s ability to prepare for middle age declines with a loss of sex hormones, and it is called “menopause,” which describes the point at which men are no longer able to have sex because their bodies can no longer produce testosterone. The medical term is hypogonadism.

What your age can tell you about your hormonal levels?

What is the difference between “manopause” and hypogonadism? Men who experience symptoms like mood changes and fatigue often just assume that it’s due to aging. Still, these are easily treatable symptoms caused by a lack of testosterone, which has metabolic benefits such as increased muscle mass, reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and cognition. When optimal testosterone levels don’t exist, it can lead to numerous complications in our quality of life. There are so many benefits of having healthy testosterone that it makes sense to have an optimum level.

How can you fight the signs of menopause and lose testosterone levels?

Men with low testosterone levels are likely to experience symptoms such as low sex drive, difficulties gaining or maintaining an erection, low semen volume, hair loss, fatigue, muscle mass loss, and increased body fat mood swings. Their memory may also be affected.

In the United States, an adult who has a testosterone level less than 300 ng/DL is considered to have low T. In England, where Dr. Foster practices as a sex-medicine practitioner, the British Society of Sexual Medicine uses a different scale range for men with their ideal levels being at 15-30 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). The diagnosis can be made by a simple blood test. Still, in reality, it becomes more complex because your levels might drop because of medical conditions such as depression or asthma that are making you low. That is why men’s health practitioners’ consultation is so beneficial in this situation.

Testosterone

“What we really want to know is the level of free testosterone; the true or ‘bioavailable’ testosterone in our blood,” Dr. Foster says. “A fit and healthy man only has about 3% useable testosterone at any one time and the rest is bound to other proteins, mainly sex hormone binding globulin and albumin. This means that some men have what looks like normal testosterone levels but actually, the amount that they can really use is less than it should be. This is why it is so important to see a men’s health specialist and not just rely on an online test, or even seeing a regular doctor as you may be told your levels are normal when they aren’t,”

‘I think the last year of my life has been a big learning curve.’

In a bid for a more masculine physique, some men may opt for TRT. However, Foster argues that there are two things we should always do before starting the therapy: Check our testosterone levels first and consider if the effects of TRT will be beneficial to us.

Low testosterone levels can be caused by medical problems such as thyroid disease, type 2 diabetes, anemia, pituitary gland problems, and certain medicines.

Some guys can see a decline in testosterone due to poor diet, lack of exercise, little or no sexual activity, being overweight, poor sleep, and high-stress levels. Men with this issue should consider adjusting their lifestyle to help it.

Men who struggle with weight and sleep may be able to come off testosterone if their lifestyle changes- such as eating better, exercising, and getting better sleep- have helped their physiques improve. However, early in treatment, there is the use of testolimine so that those men can have enough energy and motivation to lose weight.

What is male menopause and what are the latest advances in low testosterone treatments?

Advances in technology, specifically in treating testosterone deficiency, mean that TRT can be given in topical forms like gels or creams for some patients or as an injection for others. Some patients may prefer using a cream or gel daily, while others may prefer using an injection weekly; it is understood that maintaining a healthy weight and staying active will positively affect one’s test levels. However, newer advances are seen by Dr. Foster in his clinic in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.

Dr. Foster says that a combination of testosterone replacement and daily tadalafil can produce better results for patients than using testosterone replacement alone for many conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. Tadalafil is cheap and rather effective, with other benefits besides helping sexual function.

Conclusion

( Menopause) Testosterone decline is not exclusive to just middle-aged people, and age affects all men. Low T can lead to symptoms that anyone can experience. Look out for these signs, which are not just a normal aging process, and remember to get your blood levels checked.