As men enter their 40s, they notice a significant decline in vitality. This is a natural phenomenon due to aging. Nevertheless, if you are depressed and have no motivation in your daily life, you can suspect ‘male menopause’.
1 in 3 middle-aged men are ‘male menopause’
According to the National Health Insurance Corporation data, 27.4% of men in their 40s and 31.2% of men in their 50s in Korea fall into male menopause. Symptoms vary from person to person, but in most cases, sexual function problems occur first. The resulting psychological atrophy significantly reduces the quality of life. One study found that men with low levels of testosterone in their blood were three times more likely to develop depression and had a 33 percent higher risk of death. This leads to a decrease in the quality of life in interpersonal and social life in general.
Male menopauseㅣSource: Getty Images Bank
“It’s important to have some time for yourself.”
Hidak Department of Mental Health Counseling Doctor Yunseok Kim, Director (Seoul Haleun Psychiatry)
It is easy to think that middle-aged men in their 40s and 50s will be emotionally stable because they have established a certain place in society. However, the social belief that men should only show a strong image and the burden of taking responsibility for their family can lead to extreme stress.
If you cannot afford to take care of or take care of your own heart, psychological symptoms of male menopause such as chronic fatigue, irritability, deep emotional ups and downs, headache, palpitations, stuffiness, lethargy, and anxiety may accompany you. Because there is no place to express these feelings or feelings of depression, if you drink alcohol before going to bed or smoke habitually, symptoms may worsen.
It’s easy to overlook a temporary feeling, but it doesn’t happen overnight. It is important to recognize that male menopause depression is a disease and to actively deal with it. In order to overcome the midlife crisis, James Hollis, a Jungian psychoanalyst in Washington, USA, said, “First, you must realize that you are responsible for your own psychological well-being, and you must focus your life on personal growth. do,” he says. It’s important to accept that you may be in male menopause and to have some time for yourself, even if it’s only a few hours a week.
Male hormone replacement therapyㅣSource: Clip Art Korea
“Male menopause, treatment can improve quality of life”
Hidak Urology Consulting Doctor Sang-Kwon Byeon (Yonsei S-Urology Clinic)
Menopause is easy to think of as a symptom that occurs mainly in women whose hormone levels drop sharply after menopause. However, as men get older, testosterone levels drop, which can lead to menopause symptoms. However, unlike women, men’s levels of testosterone gradually decrease, and most of them do not go to the hospital because they think it is a symptom of aging.
Male menopause is diagnosed when a male over 50 years of age complains of various menopausal symptoms such as decreased libido, decreased sexual function, erectile dysfunction, increased body fat, hair loss, fatigue, lethargy, and depression, and testosterone levels are less than 3.5 ng/mL.
During male menopause, adequate sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced diet are very important. In addition, it is necessary to reduce stress, improve lifestyle habits such as drinking and smoking, and take nutritional supplements such as vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium that promote the secretion of male hormones.
Male menopause treatments available at the hospital include ointments, patches, and injections containing testosterone. Ointments and patches do not require a constant visit to the hospital, but they have a short duration and can cause side effects such as skin irritation and hypersensitivity reactions. On the other hand, injections are the most commonly used treatment because they have a clear therapeutic effect and few side effects. However, male hormone replacement therapy affects the liver, blood vessels, and prostate, so it is necessary to consult a doctor before deciding whether to treat it or not. During treatment, check for side effects through periodic examinations.
Help = Hidak Counseling Doctor Yunseok Kim (specialist in the Department of Mental Health, Seoul Haleun Mental Health Department), Hidak Counseling Doctor Sangkwon Byun Sang-gwon (Urology Specialist at Yonsei S Urology Clinic)
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