Is their behavior due to aging or is it just a normal mid life crisis?
What is the reason why we require anti aging solutions and products in the first place?
How many times have you ever heard someone saying that it is just a normal mid life crisis?
These days, men who have crossed 40 years of age are gaining popularity mainly because of their mid life crisis & male menopause which result in them behaving oddly. The question is whether a mid life crisis & male menopause are same ? If that is the case, what is the meaning of Andropause?
It has been noted that there are many men who behave very abruptly during their 40s through their 50s. There are many movies in Hollywood that are being made to have this theme of male menopause.
A reader of our site says – “I had faced similar experiences with my former partner who had been with me for many years. It actually began secretly. Once he crossed 40 years of age, I began to notice a considerable amount of changes in his behavior & attitude.
At first, he began to question whether it is time that he quit his job and search for a better one, though he used to enjoy his current work a lot. Then, the next couple of years his exercise regime began to grow a lot, he always seemed to be preoccupied with something or the other, felt more irritable & even more competitive. Then the worst began to happen, he began to dress up very strangely, drinking excessively, changing bars often, began to cheat on me and eventually left the family.
I am really confused what this is actually known as. Is it just some sort of marital unhappiness, a normal midlife attitude, depression or just hormonal changes. Can it be really the hormonal changes?”
Medical community & men have realized that there is something that is going on once they touch 40 years and above. Research has proved that men does experience some changes in their hormones which begins from midlife and results in testosterone loss, HGH, DHEA & adrenal hormones, making unavailability of testosterone due to increase in proteins & aromatase which actually begin to convert testosterone into estrogen. Contrary to women where their menopausal differences are quite abrupt, the male menopause does not occur at an early age but rather somewhere it begins about 40 years and 55 years. Their symptoms & effects are very hard to understand mainly due to the fact that they are physiological and psychological. Most of the time during this phase men tend to begin feeling different.
There are chances that hormonal changes which occur in healthy men can either be very little or even go to extreme level to an extent that they might have to undergo hormone replacement therapy. Some of the main reasons that relate to androgens (male hormone) reductions are:
1. Lack of sex drive
2. Emotional, behavioral & psychological changes.
3. Decrease in the muscle mass.
4. Loss of body muscle strength.
5. Increase in the upper & central body fat.
6. Osteoporosis or brittle bones & back pain.
7. Cardiovascular Risk.
As men grow in age, their body starts to change from more testosterone to estrogen (estradiol). Too much or excess of estrogen in a human body is not actually good for a persons health mainly due to the fact that estrogen contradicts testosterone. So, at times even men with adequate or normal testosterone levels might still undergo symptoms of Andropause since the ratios of testosterone & estrogen in their body become quite whacky.
What can be done about this problem of mid life crisis?
1- Stay lean and Strong
The best way to keep testosterone levels high & estrogen levels low is by keeping yourself lean, healthy and strong. Fat cells include aromatase. Therefore, more the fat cells; more are the content of estrogen. This is applicable even for women.
To build and maintain muscle mass requires considerable amount of free testosterone which in fact will ensure that the body is using testosterone effortlessly.
This seems to be the main goal of fitness freaks & nutrition programs which is actually good news.
2- Keep a watch on what actually goes inside your body.
Zinc, alcohol & other prescription drugs- Zinc prevents the aromatase actions inside a human body. It is therefore necessary and important to get sufficient levels of zinc through our daily diet which will help in keeping the level of estrogen down. Zinc is also important since it helps in manufacturing testosterone by the body. Those foods that are rich in zinc include poultry, meat, nuts, beans, dairy & whole grain foods.
Estrogen levels go up when a person consumes alcohol. This is mainly because liver tends to help excrete chemicals and hormones from the body thereby reducing the functions of the liver and hence results in high estrogen levels.
There are some prescription drugs from medical stores which can actually mess with the levels of hormones in a human body. It is advised to check with your family doctor in case you feel that you are undergoing symptoms relating to low testosterone.
3- Listen to what other people say
All men, including you, if you have crossed 40 years of age and if your family members or even your friends or your spouse complain about you acting weird or out of your actual character, it is time that you discuss this matter with your doctor. It might as well not be ‘her hormone’ level disturbances but rather might actually be your own hormone level.