The terms andropause, the male menopause and the midlife crisis are terms bandied about without most people really being sure what they mean. The andropause or the male menopause are not accurate terms, as there is no ‘pause’ like a woman’s monthly periods stopping.
There is no correspondingly abrupt or drastic alteration of testosterone production in the testicles as a healthy man ages, but as he ages, it does diminish, although its production can continue until very old age. However, a too rapid fall of testosterone, for a variety of reasons, can cause a lot of symptoms that are not easily recognised. I shall concentrate on the symptoms, signs and diagnosis of late onset hypogonadism and its treatment.
