Busting the myth of male menopause

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - There is a lot of myth and misinformation out there when it comes to hormonal aging -- especially for men.

It's real. Both men and women go through a stage where hormone levels drop. In men the technical term is andropause and many of the symptoms are actually very similar in both men and women.

A Twin Cities husband and wife team, Dr. Lisa

Erhard

and Dr. Mark Erhard, joined KARE 11 News @ 4 to explain more about andropause, the symptoms, and what men can do.

Q. A lot of people joke about "male menopause," but what exactly is it?

A. Simply stated it is the gradual drop in testosterone production as men age.

Q. What are the Top Symptoms/Complaints of Andropausal Males ?

Dr. Lisa says It's important to note that these are true of menopausal women as well.

- Foggy brain

- Tiredness/Fatigue

- Apathy

- Attitude

- Low libido

- Decreased muscle strength

Q. What Can You Do About It?

A. Patients first complete a questionnaire to help diagnose the severity of symptoms and take a blood test to measure actual hormone levels. Based on these, the doctors consult with patients to determine what method of treatment will work best for them.

-Advances in treatment

Treatment for low hormone levels have had tremendous improvements over the last several years – especially with bio-identical hormone treatments – which you frequently won't hear about since they can't be patented by a drug company.

Men undergoing treatment see a noticeable improvement in symptoms within 3-5 days.

Women using the bio-identical treatment usually notice an improvement within a week.

Patients frequently comment that normalizing their hormones has transformed their lives – helping to protect careers and save marriages.

Q. So What? Why Should You Care?

A. A study done of 83,010 US male patients showed that normalizing testosterone levels is associated with reduced incidence of heart attacks and death.

Symptoms tend to emerge gradually so it's easy to overlook. In fact, it's usually a spouse or partner who notices first.

A medical study of more than 80,000 men, published just last month proves that normalizing testosterone levels in men can reduce risk of heart attack and morbidity.

For more information, head to Wayzata Cosmetic Surgery or call (952) 955-9833.