Men’s hormones can become imbalanced too. Most people associate the imbalance of hormones with women, but many men also suffer from hormonal imbalance. This imbalance of men’s hormones is known as andropause, basically male menopause, and can cause a variety of problems to many men who experience it.

When men’s hormones start to become significantly altered, many men will begin to experience a variety of symptoms. Not all men will experience the same symptoms to the same degree, and some men may only experience mild changes that do not affect their lifestyle too much. That being said, here is a list of some of the most common symptoms:

• Fatigue, decreased energy, and sluggishness
• A decline in muscle mass
• A decrease in sexual desire
• Erectile dysfunction
• Aging prematurely
• Reduction of hair and skin quality
• Irritability

There are a variety of other things that could be added to this list, but these are the main symptoms that a majority of men suffering with andropause experience.

Men’s hormones typically can become imbalanced as a man moves into his middle age. This is primarily due to a decrease in testosterone levels. Now testosterone levels will slowly start to decrease around the age of 30 in most men (a decrease that is more gradual than the decrease women experience). So, age is a factor and cause all men are subject to, but there are other potential causes:

• Physical trauma to the testes (the main production center for testosterone)
• Testicular tumors
• Pituitary tumors
• Radiation or chemotherapy
• Some also suspect that we are all over-exposed to high estrogen levels in our food and environment (i.e. hormones and pesticides used in food production, etc.)

Just as with women, when men’s hormones change so does the quality of life and lifestyle. Serious hormonal changes can cause relationship problems with a spouse, family members, and friends. It may greatly hinder activity levels, which can have a variety of other ramifications for one’s physical health and well-being. Certain emotional challenges can stem from hormonal changes as well. These changes may also lead to a certain level of dissatisfaction with self and life.