You’ve heard about women having hot flashes and other symptoms as they go through the “change of life,” but what about men?
The truth is that men’s hormone levels decrease as they age, just as women’s do. Testosterone levels typically peak when men are in their 20s, then begin to decline about 1 percent a year somewhere in the 30s or 40s. If the decline in testosterone levels is severe enough, a man may experience symptoms of male menopause, also called andropause.
Low testosterone, generally defined as below 300 ng/dL, can cause unpleasant physical, mental and cognitive changes. But it doesn’t happen to everyone. If you have the following symptoms you might be experiencing low testosterone associated with male menopause:
- Reduced sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
- Loss of muscle mass
- Increased accumulation of fat (especially around the midsection)
- Low bone mass
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Trouble focusing
For many men, depression is the first symptom of low testosterone that they notice. Testosterone is a key hormone affecting mood in both men and women. Low testosterone can lead to feelings of sadness, loneliness, anger issues or anxiety. You may lose interest in activities you normally enjoy. It also plays an important role in our cognitive functioning, meaning if you don’t have enough testosterone, you may have trouble concentrating or remembering things, and your thinking may feel confused or “fuzzy.”
Physically, you may find your libido is reduced. You may also have a difficult time achieving or maintaining an erection. Healthy testosterone levels help us build and maintain muscle mass. If testosterone is low, you may develop more fat around your belly area. An unhappy consequence of this is that enzymes in those fat cells can convert testosterone to estrogen, causing your T levels to drop even further. Some men with low testosterone will even experience breast enlargement or reduced body hair.
The good news is that low testosterone and male menopause are very treatable with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Andropause and low testosterone are not a part of the normal, healthy aging process for men. If you think you might be experiencing symptoms of low testosterone, call us for a consultation today.
Why SottoPelle® Is the Top Choice for BHRT in Arizona
At SottoPelle®, our expert practitioners start with proper testing and analysis of your hormone status in addition to reviewing your medical history. If you are a good fit for our proprietary method, we can begin therapy whenever you are ready. We use low dose bioidentical hormone pellet implants to help achieve the hormonal balance so important to overall health and well-being. This safe and effective method, when properly administered, is the only BHRT proven to achieve around-the-clock physiologic hormone levels for months at a time.
Our patients frequently praise the enhanced quality of life they’re experiencing with SottoPelle® BHRT. Weight loss, improved libido and sex drive, better sleep, and greater mental acuity are just a few of the benefits patients report to us.
In fact, we are honored to say that, according to Ranking Arizona, an annual consumer publication by AZ Big Media, our patients have voted us Arizona’s #1 as the top Hormone Therapy Clinic, two years in a row, in 2015 & 2016.
Check us out at www.sottopelletherapy.com or give us a call at 480.874.1515 to schedule a consultation. We look forward to helping you as we have so many others.
