Bioidentical Hormones Expert Discusses Andropause Symptoms and Treatment

June, 2011 - June 13th kicks off Men's Health Awareness Week - a week-long campaign that runs through Father's Day, aimed at heightening the awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging men to take action to reduce their risk of disease. This year, the highly trained physicians within the BodyLogicMD network have come together to educate men about a common problem that is often overlooked. The problem is hormonal imbalance, most often due male menopause or andropause.

Men may think they don't have to deal with the debilitating symptoms of declining hormone levels as they age, but they're wrong. Menopause may be a women's issue, but men experience something very similar and it's called andropause.

One of the reasons andropause isn't as frequently talked about as menopause, is that it occurs very gradually over time. "This gradual onset leads many men to mistake the symptoms of andropause as simply part of the aging process," says Dr. Michael Grossman, Medical Director of BodyLogicMD of Irvine "But those gradual reductions in your youthfulness, enthusiasm, muscle strength and brain function are actually a result of andropause and can be improved with treatment."

Some of the problems that men may experience during andropause include:

• Loss of muscle mass
• Decline in brain functioning
• Impaired sexual function
• General fatigue and loss of enthusiasm
• Depression and mood swings
• Hair loss and thinning skin

Treatment begins with testing to determine your current hormone levels. Once your doctor knows which hormones are imbalanced, he or she can tailor a treatment plan to restore balance. "Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is extremely effective in restoring your hormone levels and reducing or reversing your symptoms so that you can feel better than you have in years," says Grossman.

Dr. Grossman and other bioidentical hormone doctors within the BodyLogicMD network also evaluate other hormonal imbalances and offer additional guidance in fitness and nutrition. "We always look at your health in-depth," he says, "and evaluate you as a whole, individual and unique person to see just what you need to feel youthful, vibrant and enthusiastic about your life."