Thursday, October 22, 2009

Hormone Replacement for Men

By Anju Mathur, MD

Women who want to handle symptoms of menopause often seek a doctor's help to replace the dwindling supply of hormones naturally produced by the body. But if a man wants to avoid wrinkly skin, weakness and loss of strength, hair falling out, and low libido, what should he do? Why not the same? Replace the lost hormones.

The reason only women were considered is because men remain fertile long after the reproductive possibility has disappeared for women. Yet, hormone production still declines in men as the body ages, and what man wants to be a bald, sexless, wrinkly weakling?

But any body, male or female, begins to slack off of hormone production after the age of 30. Physical appearance is the most obvious result, but mental well being is also involved. The older a person gets, the less hormones are produced in the body. Some people have more dramatic changes than others.

Men can be helped just as much as women by hormone replacement therapy. Feeling youthful and looking younger is significant to both sexes.

There are many hormones produced by various glands of the body, all of which affect aging. Testosterone is normally thought of as the male hormone, but replacing only testosterone will not bring about desired results. Growth hormone, thyroid hormones and even estrogen and progesterone can be important in hormone replacement for men, as well as other hormones.

To begin a hormone replacement program, the first thing to be done is medical testing, to find out which hormones are lacking and in what amount. Replacement with bioidentical (which means the hormones used as replacement are the same as the ones lost, not synthetic) hormones in specific amounts for each individual will then be prescribed by a doctor.

The quest for youthfulness has spawned many remedies throughout history - extract from goat testicles was once considered a remedy for men, as well as Dr. Hustler's Medicine Show tonic (probably full of cocaine which would make you feel youthful for a short time). But the real proven results combine hormone replacement along with a program of healthful diet and exercise.

Don't just worry about your lost youth. Actively do something to halt or reverse the effects of age. If you approach the symptoms with the idea of finding out what causes the problem and remedying the cause, you will get lifetime results. And you can skip the tonic and the goat extract.

About the Author: