Are menopausal women the only people likely to have hormone imbalance problems?
A. Although hormone imbalance is the most pronounced in women entering menopause (related to sudden severe decline in ovarian hormone production), symptoms related to hormone imbalance can be seen in women of all ages, and men, most commonly as they age. In fact, Dr. Chen has treated patients as young as in their late teen years! Most women begin to experience signs and symptoms of ovarian hormone decline beginning in the late age 30s, and some even earlier. The chances of hormone imbalance are much greater especially if women notice symptoms with consistent correlation to their menstrual cycle. Men encounter andropause, which consists of a generally more gradual, slow decline in testicular production of testosterone. Many men simply attribute their symptoms and reduced vitality to aging, when they could very well be due to testosterone decline. Beyond the decline of sex hormones, there may also be hormonal imbalances of other glands, such as thyroid (which is much more common in women
