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For so long the world has thought that only women may suffer from menopause. Doctors are now saying that men can also suffer from menopause. More and more men are going to the doctor with symptoms of fatigue, weight gain and sexual dysfunction, which in women, are some of the signs of menopause.
Some male patients are being treated with hormone therapy containing testosterone and are experiencing relief of symptoms with this treatment. Many people dislike the term male menopause, as the correct name for this disorder is late-onset hypogonadism. Doctors are now seeing more men suffering from this medical condition.
For women, menopause means the end of fertility. Men however, are still able to produce sperm into their eighties or later. All women eventually experience menopause, but not all men will have a low testosterone level. Male menopause is different than female menopause in that it is a gradual decline of the production of testosterone.
Many people say that men are just going through the normal signs of aging and that testosterone levels lowering is not the same as female menopause. The symptoms appear to be the same, however. Low testosterone can cause problems is sexual functions, insomnia, and emotional and physical changes to the body.
There is still some debate going on about whether or not men are experiencing a male menopause. In order to diagnose male menopause, a doctor gives a physical exam to the male patient. The doctor will then ask questions and assess the situation. Tests may be ordered in order to gather more information, but more than likely the doctor will order blood tests which include testing hormone levels.
Testosterone replacement therapy may work for those with low testosterone levels, but there are some side effects associated with this treatment such as a worsening of prostate cancer.
