The word Andropause is derived from two Greek words – ‘andro’ which means male and ‘pauses’ which means stop. Andropause is a condition that occurs when masculinity declines. As men age, their testosterone level may drop. The gradual decline may begin between the ages of 50 and 55. It may also bring about many changes in the male body. Some of the symptoms of Andropause are as follows:
- Erectile dysfunction (erection problem)
- Increased body fat
- Difficulty with concentration and memory loss
- Sleep difficulties
- Decreased libido (low sex drive)
- Loss of muscle size and strength
- Osteoporosis (bone thinning)
- Mood disturbances, including depression, irritability and feeling tired
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common symptom of Andropause. ED is a disorder characterized by the inability of a man to attain erection or maintain erection for a long time until climax during intercourse. ED could not only blur a person’s ability to think clearly but also affect his ability to perform for his female partner.
What causes erectile dysfunction?
Erection process involves a chain of processes. Erection process starts with the brain sending signals to the penile region to release certain chemicals for erection. Thus the sexual thoughts in the brain directly trigger nerve signals down through the spinal cord and into the muscles of the male sex organ. This pumps blood into male sex organ which leads to erection.
However due to erectile dysfunction, erection process is interrupted at some stage. Erectile dysfunction can also be caused to physical or psychological reasons. Some of the physical factors i.e. health related factors that may cause erectile dysfunction are diabetes, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, stroke, hardening of the arteries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, radiation therapy for testicles, alcohol and tobacco use, fatigue, brain or spinal-cord injuries, and low testosterone levels.
Besides these, psychological conditions such as depression and stress could result in erectile dysfunction.
Medications to overcome erectile dysfunction
There are many medications available in the market or at online internet store. But the medications should be taken after a consultation with the doctor. Usually, medications for male impotence contain active ingredient called sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil to stop the cation of the enzyme called PDE5, which degrades chemicals responsible for erection. Once action of PDE5 is ceased, there is an increased flow of blood toward penile region which results in erection.
Testosterone replacement therapy for increasing testosterone
Testosterone replacement therapy is one of the best ways to increase testosterone level. About 5% of men opt for testosterone replacement therapy to increase testosterone. This not only helps to conquer conditions of erectile dysfunction due to low testosterone level but also helps to overcome Andropause.
