If you are interested in sexual health and even if you are not, you have probably read something about female menopause. But articles about male menopause or andropause are very rare. Here are some of the things that you should know about andropause.
As you can see the word andropause sounds very similar to menopause and it comes from the Greek words Andros which means Man and Pausis which means End while menopause means end of the menstrual periods. It is worth mentioning that the term andropause is not widely accepted and there are still discussions if it should be used or not.
Whether the term is accepted or not, doesn’t change the fact that there are around 40% of men around 45 to 55 years old that have to deal with andropause. The first signs can be noticed when a man turns 30 years. It is a hormonal change that affects the sensitivity. During the process of aging, men produce less androgen. It is interesting that male and female menopauses have a lot in common and the main difference is that female menopause is a lot more researched. The reason might be the sense of loss of manhood that men feel during this period.
There are some clear symptoms that point to andropause and some of them include – loss or decrease of erection, lack of libido, fatigue, lethargy, depression, irritability, loss of bone mass, nervousness, muscle and joint aches, night sweats, frequent urination, osteoporosis, stress, cardiac arrhythmias, weight gain etc. Some men also feel more maternal, they become more sensitive and kinder.
Mend find very hard to deal with these things and their loss of manhood and that’s why they don’t want to talk about it. However, conversation is one of the most efficient methods for those who want to overcome the problems that andropause brings. You can talk with your friends, partner or doctor or talk with all of them. Just like in any other situation physical activity can be very helpful. And avoiding alcohol and tobacco can be useful too.
It often happens that both partners go through perimenopause simultaneously. This can be very stressful and in some cases devastating for the relationship. The changes in sexuality are very obvious – the erections are not that neither frequent nor predictable/powerful so the man can feel especially embarrassed especially if the woman becomes more imaginative or sexually active in the bed. The feeling of inability to satisfy the partner is constantly present. This situation can be resolved only through conversations. If they are having difficulties, a visit to a therapist is a must. After all they are experts and they have various methods that can help you. All these methods bring changes that can even strengthen the relationship.
Andropause should not be confused with midlife crisis which has its roots in sensibility and it is caused by emotions. Furthermore, midlife crisis usually occurs between 35 and 45 years while andropause usually occurs between 50 and 55 years.