What is Andropause or Testosterone Deficiency in Men?
In a word, andropause is the male version of menopause. It is caused by the same thing a woman experiences – a decline in hormone production. For a man this means that over time his body will manufacture less and less testosterone. Surprisingly, the decline begins at around the age of 30. Beyond that age, male hormone levels drop by approximately 10 percent every decade. By the time a man is between 40 and 55, his testosterone levels will drop appreciably and signal the onset of andropause.Is this Something new in Men? A big reason andropause has not made the front page headlines is the social stigma attached to issues of masculinity. And no man wants to hear that what makes him a man is not up to snuff. In years past when men experienced a physical decline, emotional changes, or things like hair loss, paunchiness, or erectile dysfunction they assumed that it was some kind of mid-life crisis thing. And their doctors most often encouraged them to accept their plight because they weren’t
