Male menopause is often regarded as a myth by most people, particularly women. However science is now suggesting that male menopause could very well be a reality. Male menopause symptoms are marked by a steady decline in the testosterone levels and this condition is also called andropause. Testosterone is the sex hormone in men that creates and releases the sperm and provides muscular strength along with initiating sex drive in men.

Hormone levels in men are at a peak between the age of 15 and 18. In the mid and late 20s these hormone levels start to drop slowly. In the 40s these hormone levels drop significantly and by 50 there is marked reduction in the hormones. Such changes become visible because of the male menopause symptoms.

Male menopause symptoms are quite similar to female menopause symptoms but less in intensity. Men do not completely lose their fertility and their symptoms are not as acute as those in women. Some common male menopause symptoms include hot flashes, fatigue, joint aches, muscle aches and night sweats. Other symptoms also include irritability, listlessness, depression and mood swings.

Male menopause symptoms also include considerable reduction in sex drive. As many as 80% men complained of reduced sex drive and sexual enjoyment also reduces considerably. Many men also documented the fact that there was marked reduction in the frequency with which they had sex. This reduction was from an average of 3 to 4 times every week to around once every week. In the 50s this frequency reduces to only around 1 to 2 times every month. Another symptom of male menopause is that the activity of men slows down quite considerably.

While at one point of time they are able to work throughout the day and well into the night now the pace reduces quite a bit. Likewise it takes men some time to complete the physical activity that earlier would have completed in no time at all. Other male menopause symptoms include difficulty in remembering or forgetfulness and also problems in focusing. Men also may find it difficult to deal with certain situations and may be filled with anger, depression, irritability and anxiety in certain circumstances.

As testosterone levels drop men lose their muscle mass. Research indicates that men who are used to a sedentary lifestyle tend to lose around 10% muscle mass every decade and the fat gained settles in the middle section of the man’s body. This results in obesity which is one of the common male menopause symptoms. Many men find it difficult to fall asleep and restless sleep is also one of the symptoms. If restless sleep becomes a norm it can result in some serious health problems for the men in the long run. The reduced testosterone can also result in possibility of heart disease in the long run.

Some other male menopause symptoms include loss of bone mass. As compared to women men tend to start losing bone mass much later in life. Men also experience some degree of indecisiveness and they may start losing self confidence. Handling these symptoms may be extremely difficult for some men who may experience erectile dysfunction and loss of spontaneous erections such as those while sleeping.

Some men may experience loss of body hair and pubic hair, swelling or tenderness in breast areas and shrinking of testes. Hot flushes and sweating is also a part of male menopause symptoms. Other symptoms may include sleep apnea and reduced count of red blood cells or mild anemia.