Understanding Menopause In Men.

EMEKA OPARAH 

While working out this morning, I listened to CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s podcast “Chasing Life” in which he discussed menopause in women and weight gain. The insights he and some of his guests shared on the show were fascinating, some even terrifying-and thought-provoking. It got me immediately thinking about menopause in men, which I have playfully termed “womenopause”.

As I thought about it, I remembered what one of my “bad uncles” told me when I turned 50. In his words, “Emeka, a 50-year-old man is no longer a baby! You’ll soon realize that you’ll be needing the bathroom more frequently. Please, my dear brother, whenever you find a clean bathroom, use it because they are not easy to find. Likewise, whenever you get a hard on, please use it because at 50, hard ons are no longer easy to find!”

My uncle’s naughty advice may have been what it is-naughty. Some self-righteous people may even call it dirty, but as I researched menopause in men, the full weight of his wise words came landing on my shoulders.

Menopause is no respecter of persons. It doesn’t matter whether you are white or black, tall or short, with six packs or one pack, so long as you live long enough. Typically, menopause in men set in from about the age of 50. Some guys are unlucky to start experiencing it earlier. Like tax and death, menopause will eventually get to every man!

Here are some of the general signs:

1. depression.

2. loss of sex drive.

3. erectile dysfunction.

4. mood swings and irritability.

5. loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise.

6. fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or ‘man boobs’ (gynaecomastia)

7. a general lack of enthusiasm or energy.

There you have it. If you are in your 50s or approaching, those are the signs to keep in mind and watch out for.

Knowledge is power. Now that you know, you should be able to understand when you start experiencing them. It can also help you to manage the effects of menopause, since it is not avoidable or preventable much less reversible.

Perhaps the most important way of managing menopause is lifestyle change and psychological counseling. Like women, men get rattled when they suddenly start feeling some of the aforementioned symptoms. In both cases, I mean men and women, the ego can be badly bruised and confidence imperiled.

Accepting your reality is a major step in coping with menopause. It’s noteworthy that one man’s reality is not necessarily another man’s reality. While some men can still build and maintain rock solid erection at 60 and 70, they may be suffering from arthritis or loss of muscle mass. Meanwhile, his brother or friend is still physically fit and good-looking but cannot “rise to the occasion”! Enough said.

As we approach the end of a rather stubborn or rather difficult year, perhaps, this is one subject men knocking on the door of 50 or way ahead should give some serious consideration.

Wishing the brotherhood well as they reflect on this “sensitive” topic.

By Emeka Oparah (Amadioha Mbaise)