Men also reach menopause – Research

Emeka Steven, 57, tried hard and succeeded in getting his business back on track after a few years setback. But he soon realised he was suffering bouts of depression, weight loss and declining appetite for sex. Steven thought his problem was due to pressure to get his business running again, until he decided to see his doctor. His doctor had him run a few tests, and told him it was beyond his expectation: he was having symptoms of andropause.
Research has revealed that many men do not know the meaning of the medical term, `andropause’. Simply defined, andropause is “a collection of symptoms, including fatigue and a decrease in libido, experienced by some middle-aged men, and attributed to a gradual decline in testosterone levels”.
Experts say andropause is the male menopause, which occurs in some ageing men, with similarities as female menopause. They say that 30 per cent of men experience andropause in their life time.
Dr. Celsus Undie, an Urologist, at Kelina Hospital, Abuja, says andropause is a situation in which men, usually in their early 50s or above, develop a progressive decline in androgen levels, which are male hormones that make men who they are. Unlike menopause in women, andropause is not universal in men since not all men develop low hormonal levels.
Undie said: “Men are different from women physically, psychologically, and in so many other ways because of testosterone, the predominant androgen which is produced mainly in the testis. Both men and women produce the same types of hormones, but the levels vary depending on the sex of the individual. When the male hormones begin to decline, clinically, andropause is defined.”
Dr. Oyinbo Manuel, a medical practitioner, wants men between 40 years and 55 years to be conscious of early signs of andropause, which includes low libido, erectile dysfunction, muscle loss, night sweats, depression, urinary problems and weight gain. Other signs, Manuel adds, are hot flashes, hair loss, sleep apnea, male breasts, fatigue and irritability.
According to him, many men are ignorant of these signs and believe they are under some form of stress due to economic and social problems. He adds that many men might not experience all of the symptoms, adding that andropause manifests as a combination of symptoms.
Manuel said: “Men do not have a particular period like menses in women to know they are now in andropause. It is the decrease in testosterone level that causes andropause, which is not easily noticed in men as it is in women who have a stoppage of menstrual flow as a sign that menopause has set in. But andropause may develop early due to diabetes, hypertension and genetic disorders that produce hypogonadism, which is a low testosterone level. “While andropause does not cause a man’s reproductive system to stop working altogether, many experience bouts of impotence.”
Undie says that most men with hypogonadism, that is low testosterone levels, also have problems of erection, adding that erection and fertility are not the same. According to him, andropause is related to fertility only to the extent that it affects erection and also because in some men with low testosterone levels, sperm count is also low.
He said: “But the mechanism is slightly different and sometimes complex. Testosterone that is found in the blood circulation is not required for sperm production. In fact, if you give a man testosterone injection, it could lower his sperm count. Testosterone that is required for sperm production is the one found inside the testis. The injection does not cross into the testis because of a barrier between testicular tissue and blood in circulation.”
Dr. Adedotun Ajiboye, a clinical psychologist at Ekiti State Teaching Hospital, says that insufficient testosterone could affect the behavior of men at andropause stage. Ajiboye notes that although men suffer several changes psychologically in their entire life, some occur during andropause, including emotions, personality, productivity, sexuality, memory, character and behaviour. According to him, such men become more interested in housekeeping chores like cooking, which they neglected when they were young.
Ajiboye says that men in their andropausal years also experience mental changes, including a decline in their mental calculations, as their mind become less sharp and their judgment less accurate. He said: “He often commits mistakes now, unlike when he was younger. More often than not, they blame it to aging, but the truth is partly due to a decline in their testosterone levels.”
Ajiboye says that memory loss is one of the most common changes that happen due to andropause. Sometimes they misplace a key or may forget some important details. According to him, age related-memory loss during andropause is minor and may not affect every day function. According to him, changes that come with male menopause vary from one person to another, and the victim requires professional help.
Experts opine that andropause could be managed or treated. Manuel says that the main treatment for andropause include hormone replacement therapy that is designed to work specifically with the body to correct the symptoms. He said: “Therefore, I urge all men between ages 40 years and 55 years to check their blood for testosterone level.”
For Ajiboye, the therapies include change management techniques, adjustment training, stress management training, cognitive behavioral therapy and anger management, adding that trained psychotherapist or clinical psychologist can handle them. Experts, therefore, recommend that men between 40 years and 55 years who experience any of the symptoms should visit their health specialist to ascertain if andropause has set in.
NAN Features.