Middle-aged menopause: Causes, self-assessment, and common symptoms

**93. Why do men also experience "menopause"?**

We know that men, like women, experience menopause, a period characterized by a series of physiological and psychological changes. Women enter menopause because the mature follicles in their ovaries are depleted, preventing the production of sufficient estrogen and progesterone, ultimately leading to the cessation of menstruation and the start of menopause. But men don't have ovaries, so why do they also experience "menopause"?

In fact, male menopause is also a result of the decline in androgen activity. Scientific research has shown that around the age of 30, the reproductive system in men begins to decline, and the amount of testosterone produced by the testes gradually decreases, declining by an average of 1% to 2% per year, with a total decrease of up to one-third to one-half. Many other factors also affect androgen levels. High work and life stress, unhealthy lifestyles, poor living environments, and lack of physical activity can all affect androgen levels. When androgen levels drop to a certain level, symptoms such as irritability, depression, fatigue, and decreased libido appear, indicating the onset of male menopause. Because there are significant individual differences in androgen levels and the rate of testicular decline in men, the age of onset and the severity of symptoms also vary greatly. It can be said that men do not have a fixed "menopause" like women, and many elderly men are still as healthy as young men.

Traditional Chinese medicine also has records of male menopause. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that men enter menopause because as they age, their kidney qi gradually weakens, and the supply of essence and blood becomes increasingly insufficient, leading to what traditional Chinese medicine calls "liver yin and blood deficiency," which are the symptoms of male menopause.

**94. How to determine if you have entered menopause?**

Many men experience symptoms such as anxiety or depression, fatigue, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, hot flashes, sweating, decreased libido, and erectile dysfunction when entering menopause. These symptoms can be very harmful to themselves and their families. The earlier men detect that they have entered menopause, the sooner they can be vigilant and seek medical attention, which can sometimes alleviate or even cure these symptoms. Therefore, knowing how to determine if one has entered menopause is essential knowledge for men.

There's a saying that goes, "The person who knows you best is yourself," meaning only you can be the first to realize you've entered menopause. Below are 12 changes you can check to see if you're entering menopause. See if you experience any of these: ① You can no longer read books or newspapers with your old glasses, but can see clearly without them; ② Your eyes tire easily, and you experience headaches and dizziness after reading for a long time; ③ You sleep less than before, going to bed early and waking up early; ④ Drinkers' alcohol tolerance has decreased significantly; ⑤ Hearing has noticeably weakened; ⑥ Your teeth are loose, making it difficult to bite hard foods, requiring frequent denture replacements (if you already have dentures); ⑦ Your taste in food has changed, with a craving for sweet, sour, spicy, and salty foods, indicating a decline in your sense of taste; ⑧ You crave snacks, especially candied fruits, which is also related to a decline in taste; ⑨ Your libido has decreased; ⑩ Your memory has declined; ⑪ You begin to reminisce about childhood memories; ⑫ Your energy for studying and working is not as good as before, and you may even feel powerless.

If you answered yes to four or more of the above 12 points, it indicates that you have entered menopause. Therefore, you should start taking extra care of your body, correct bad habits, develop regular lifestyle habits, and maintain a peaceful and optimistic mood, for your own sake and for the sake of your family.

**95. What are the menopausal symptoms that men may experience?**

Because male menopause is caused by androgen deficiency, menopausal symptoms also manifest as aging in various systems of the body:

(1) Skin aging begins with wrinkles on the face, followed by the skin on the neck, hands and feet, which gradually become loose and droopy. This is due to the gradual reduction of fat and elastic tissue.

(2) Cardiovascular system: With age, the heart often becomes enlarged and the endocardium thickens. This may be due to increased connective tissue in the heart, lipid deposition, and calcification of the heart valves and other structures. In addition, vascular problems such as decreased elasticity and hardening of blood vessels, arteriosclerosis, and narrowing of blood vessels may also appear one after another.

(3) As we age, the smooth muscle fibers and glands of the digestive system gradually atrophy, the gastric mucosa becomes thinner, and the colon and stomach cavity slowly enlarge and lose elasticity. These changes occur gradually, so most of them are asymptomatic. However, if we do not control our diet, pay attention to food hygiene, and maintain emotional stability, they will be significantly induced.

(4) Urinary system: Around the age of 50, kidney function gradually declines, blood urea nitrogen begins to rise, renal tubular function decreases significantly, and urine concentration function also drops sharply. Therefore, after entering menopause, one often feels frequent urination at night, urinary frequency or a feeling of residual urine, symptoms of heart-kidney disharmony, irritability, insomnia, palpitations, dizziness, lower back pain, and forgetfulness, which is what traditional Chinese medicine calls "five-center heat" (a traditional Chinese medicine term for a feeling of heat in the palms, soles, and chest), pale red tongue, and thready and rapid pulse.

(5) After menopause, the reproductive system will also show obvious signs of aging. Sperm motility decreases, leading to loss of fertility, and sexual function declines, such as decreased or absent libido or impotence.

(6) Mental and nervous system symptoms such as nervousness, irritability, fatigue, frequent feelings of depression, decreased memory, thinking and concentration, insomnia, feelings of loneliness and fear, lack of self-confidence, etc.

(7) Bones: Bone tissue will be lost more quickly, increasing the number of spongy pores in the bones, leading to bone softening, intercostal muscle atrophy, kyphosis and other phenomena.