Female Versus Male Menopause
Unless you have been living under a rock, the news that “women experience menopause”, is not something new. It may be news to you that there is research being conducted to determine if there is such a thing as “male menopause”. The studies that have been conducted say that the main hormone for males - testosterone decreases as male’s age starting at age 40 and that it returns to pre-puberty levels by the time males hit age 80.
Women on the other hand can start having pre-menopausal symptoms as early as age 35. The main hormone that triggers menopause for women is estrogen. This hormone for women decreases noticeably over a period of five years starting at around age 50. Women have an undeniable physical symptom of menopause - the cessation of their monthly period cycles. They are officially considered menopausal when they have not had a period for 12 months in a row, barring any other medical reason for lack of menstruation. The decrease in the hormone estrogen can be detected by a blood test (FSH).
Do men have a similar test to see if they are experiencing male menopause?
The hormone drop for women can be drastic which can cause very obvious symptoms both psychological and physical. Men on the other hand have a much gradual decline in testosterone so their symptoms can creep up on them. Lower levels of testosterone in males cause them to experience a loss of muscle mass, increased deposits of fat, a decrease in energy level and also a noticeable decrease in sexual interest.
Other symptoms that males may experience while having decreased testosterone levels are: depression, irritability, and erectile dysfunction. While women can also experience depression, and irritability, they have more physical symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes and facial hair growth. Men with medical conditions that cause them to have decreased levels of testosterone are given testosterone-replacement therapy and report an improvement in symptoms.
It is difficult to determine when symptoms are related to male menopause and when they can be attributed to other conditions such as alcoholism, hormonal disorders such as thyroid issues, kidney and liver disease or heart and or lung disease. The disease depression can also cause the same symptoms in males who have healthy levels of testosterone.
FSH is increased and the level of estradiol is decreased in women who are in menopause or who have gone through menopause.
When women are going through menopause or have already reached menopause their FSH level will be above normal and their estradiol levels will be below normal. Estradiol is a type of estrogen, which is a hormone. Men can have their FSH level tested too. The normal level of FSH in women whom are not menopausal is: 5 mIU/mL to 30 mIU/mL. The menopausal level of FSH in women is: 50 mIU/mL to 100 mIU/mL. The normal male from puberty up to 35 has a FSH of 5 to 20 mIU/mL.
Men will also have their testosterone level tested at the same time that their FSH level is tested. If the first test results come back abnormal they will probably be tested a second time to compare results. Along with these blood tests the medical history, medication history and current health will be taken into consideration when making a diagnosis.
Tag:female menopause, male menopause, menopausePopularity: 32% [?]
