Menopause In Men - Is There Menopause And Men And At What Age? Menopause Symptoms In Men

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Menopause in men

Content:

• Do men have menopause?
• Menopause symptoms in men
• At what age does it start?

Menopause in men is age-related changes in the functional capabilities of the gonads and associated changes in the body, the work of a number of organs, and the quality of life. A third of men experience pronounced signs of the disease, the rest of the processes are asymptomatic.

With the onset of male menopause, a complex restructuring of all systems of the body is associated, sexual function undergoes special changes, since hypodynamia of the glands is observed in it, leading to insufficient secretion of certain hormones. The connection between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and testes, which is responsible for the production of androgens - steroid hormones of the gonads, is upset.

Age-related changes in the functioning of the hypothalamus have a direct impact on the work of the pituitary gland as the main endocrine gland. As a result, there are violations in the production of hormones that are responsible for stimulating the male sex glands - the testes. Degradation processes take place in them: secretory tissue is replaced by connective and adipose tissue, which leads to a decrease in testosterone secretion.

This hormone is very important, it regulates the functioning of the testicles, epididymis, prostate gland, and seminal vesicles. It also stimulates sperm production, moreover, it determines libido, the intensity of orgasm and sexual arousal.

A decrease in testosterone levels affects hormonal balance, affects the functioning of the reproductive, endocrine and central nervous systems. Therefore, male menopause can cause changes in the emotional state of a person.

The decrease in androgen levels led to the appearance of the term andropause, which is essentially an alternative designation for male menopause.

Do men have menopause?

When talking about a woman's menopause or menopause, they mean the cessation of menstruation and the possibility of childbearing. With andropause, the testes do not stop working, only the amount of testosterone secretion decreases. Male fertility is maintained until old age or death.

In addition, a decrease in the level of hormones in a man's body occurs gradually, which is why some scientists do not agree with the term "andropause" when applied to this situation. A more precise definition is partial androgen deficiency.

Menopause should not be confused with impotence. These concepts are not identical. Male menopause is associated with a decrease in fertility - a decrease or absence of living, capable of fertilization, active sperm, as well as a fall or complete disappearance of sexual desire. In this case, the erection remains. Whereas impotence implies damage to erectile function, which leads to an erection that is insufficient for natural intercourse.

Menopause symptoms in men

The time of the appearance of male menopause and the severity of the symptoms of the disease depend on a number of factors: the state of the body as a whole, the sexual activity of the man and his lifestyle. Only the alternation of work and rest, a healthy diet, physical exercise, a rich sex life lead to the fact that climacteric changes are easy, almost asymptomatic. Smoking, alcoholism, intensive work without sufficient periods of rest and recovery of the body, physical inactivity can, on the contrary, aggravate the manifestations of male menopause.

Internal restructuring of the body leads to the appearance of external signs of the disease. The degree of their manifestation is different, individual for each man. First of all, there are changes in the general condition:

• dizziness;
• increased sweating;
• depressive states, suspiciousness, increased irritability, conflict, apathy, lethargy;
• unreasonable fear, feeling of depression, anxiety, lack of interest in life;
• fast fatiguability;
• impaired attention, problems with concentration, forgetfulness;
• insomnia.

Specific symptoms of male menopause include:

• frequent surges in blood pressure (increase or decrease);
• development of cardiac dysfunction, leading to arrhythmias, palpitations;
• intense headaches, usually localized in the occipital region;
• the appearance of hot flashes - undulating redness of the skin of the hands, neck, face, accompanied by attacks of heat;
• the occurrence of problems with urination: an increase in the frequency of urges and a decrease in the pressure of the jet;
• feeling short of breath, shortness of breath;
• change in appearance: sagging skin and muscles, fullness due to the replacement of muscle tissue with adipose tissue;
• decreased functions of the pancreas and thyroid gland, hypothyroidism;

• the emergence of prerequisites for diabetes.

Some of these symptoms begin to manifest themselves more strongly with physical exertion and psycho-emotional outbursts.

Sexual dysfunctions are specific. They can be slow enough. Against the background of normal erectile activity, the following manifestations of male menopause are observed:

• reduction in the duration of intercourse;
• accelerated ejaculation;
• disorder of orgasm up to its complete disappearance;
• decrease in semen volume and sperm count.

The extinction of sexual function often becomes the cause of deep emotional distress.

Similar symptoms can appear throughout the entire period of male menopause and have varying degrees of intensity. Later stages of the disease can be manifested by the involution of secondary sexual characteristics, the appearance of fatty deposits, which are distributed according to the female type - they occupy the area of the buttocks and thighs. Occasionally during this period, an increase in the male mammary glands is diagnosed - gynecomastia.

It is impossible to prevent male menopause as a result of natural aging of the body and the manifestation of its symptoms, but reasonable drug therapy and the use of some folk methods can help facilitate the process. The duration of andropause can vary, usually taking 2-5 years.

At what age do men have menopause?

According to studies, androgen production begins to decline after 30 years and reaches 1-3%. When a man overcomes the 40-year mark, this process can greatly accelerate and by the age of 80, the level of sex hormones is approximately half below the physiological norm that is able to maintain normal sexual and reproductive function.

Male menopause can begin at different ages. If its signs appear before the age of 45, this is an early menopause, at 50-60 years old - the usual, the onset of symptoms after 60 is considered late.

Male menopause is associated with general aging of the body, so it cannot be avoided, but there are factors that contribute to its early onset:

• the effect of toxic substances;
• radiation exposure;
• violation of blood flow in the testicles;
• neoplasms of a benign and malignant nature in the testicles;
• inflammatory sexually transmitted diseases (orchitis, orchiepididymitis, epididymitis);
• surgical castration;
• alcoholism, smoking.

The symptoms of male menopause appear earlier and stronger in those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, suffer from chronic diseases and have an unstable nervous system.

Author of the article: Lebedev Andrey Sergeevich | Urologist

Education: Diploma in the specialty "Andrology" received after completing residency at the Department of Endoscopic Urology of the Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education in the urological center of the Central Clinical Hospital No. 1 of JSC Russian Railways (2007). Here, postgraduate studies were completed by 2010. Useful articles on the topic of menopause: Plants that affect the sexual function of men

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