Menopause does not only affect women. Men can also suffer from ailments related to hormonal changes. The easiest way to find out if menopause or andropause have caught you are home tests that allow you to check your hormone levels yourself.
Menopausal symptomsare common knowledge. Everyone knows that from that moment on, a woman can no longer have children, she is often nervous, suffers from hot flashes, insomnia, fatigue, depression, irritability and a decrease in libido. But who knows what are thesymptoms of andropause ? Unfortunately, in men there is no clear indication that the period of andropause has started, as in the case of women (after all, menopause is the last period).
Andropauza: man also fades
Andropause does not manifest itself as spectacularly and unequivocally as menopause, which does not mean, however, that it is so difficult to diagnose. During this period, men may notice: nervousness, disturbed sleep and memory, easy fatigue, tendency to depression, hot flashes, increase in fat tissue, bone and joint pain, lower mood and life satisfaction, additionally problems with erection, decreased desire sexual dysfunction and overall sexual satisfaction. Often these symptoms are considered simply to be normal aging symptoms. However, even more often men simply do not go to the doctor at all, do not inform him that they are worried about anything. Even more rarely, which of the gentlemen realizes that the symptoms of andropause can be alleviated with the use of appropriate hormone therapy.
Worth knowingMenopause and andropause is not a disease. Troublesome symptoms can be alleviated, and entering this stage of life is not a reason to be ashamed. The most important thing is to be aware of the changes taking place and check your he alth regularly. In addition to many preparations, dietary supplements, and drugs that alleviate the symptoms of menopause and andropause, it is also worth investing in check-ups.
Home menopausal test
For perimenopausal women, the menopause test (eg Menopause Test, Climea) can be extremely helpful. It detects the hormone FSH, making it possible to know if the last period in a woman's life has already occurred. In the period before and 12 months after menopause,a significant number of women experience unpleasant ailments, and reproductive functions also disappear - the function of the ovaries ceases, which causes a decrease in the production of female sex hormones, mainly estrogens. At the same time, the production of follicle-stimulating hormone FSH increases in the female body. Therefore, determining the level of FSH may be helpful in diagnosing the menopause.
Home test for andropause
In turn, men in the andropausal period can solve the Morley questionnaire. It consists of ten questions that allow you to initially recognize menopause in men.
However, the final diagnosis can be made by a doctor. The gold standard in the diagnosis of androgen deficiency is a blood test - measurement of free testosterone.