Yes, Lower Levels of Testosterone Makes Male Menopause a Reality

Ignoring Male Menopause May Mean Health Risks in the Future

We all have heard the funny remarks that are made about some men when they grow older. People laugh about the middle age man driving the sports car, hanging around with younger women and acting all goofy like a young stud. They make fun of these men and say they are going through a mid life crisis. But seriously could a man go through something as they get older?

We all know that as women grow older their bodies and their hormones changes. We all know about the effects that female menopause has on some women. We also all know that during this time of life, women should be given some extra patience, as they get used to their changing bodies. But what about men? Do their bodies change, besides just loosing some hair on top of their heads?

The answer is yes. Some men do in fact suffer from a change in hormones. Maybe they don't want it referred to as male menopause, but something does happen to their bodies.

The Alliance of Aging Research did a study that involved men over the age of 39. In this study, one third of the men admitted that they did have symptoms that could be caused by low testosterone. Testosterone is the male hormone that develops the male hormones and male characteristics such as hair patterns, deep voice patters and muscle strength. These symptoms included lower energy levels, mental cloudiness, lower sex drive, reduced strength in their muscles, increase amount of fat on the upper body and abdominal region and even mood swings.

What causes the testosterone level to lower? Some of the reasons are the same chronic health problems that cause many problems for men and women. Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure top the list. These three problems can inhibit the production of testosterone. But there are other factors that may cause a man's testosterone level to lower such as: alcoholism, chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer, chronic illnesses, pituitary gland problems, too much iron in the blood, illnesses that may affect the immune system such as AIDS/HIV, and even excess stress.