When is Hormone Replacement Therapy Right for Me?

 

 

Hormones play an important role in the normal function of the human body. From middle age onward, hormone levels diminish. This natural change in hormone levels can cause disruptive symptoms that can have an impact on the individual’s quality of life. Hormone replacement therapy can relieve these symptoms and provide increased quality of life for individuals experiencing hormone deficiencies.

 

What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

As people age, their hormone levels naturally diminish. The menstrual cycle in women begins to dwindle, marking an end to their childbearing years. Men may experience changes in muscle mass and energy levels. Although these changes are normal, the fluctuating hormone levels may cause uncomfortable symptoms in some people. Hormone replacement therapy, from places like Genemedics Health Institute, restores some of the hormones needed for normal physical function. It can help to relieve troublesome symptoms, and can help people to feel more energetic.

 

Symptoms of Low Estrogen Levels in Women

Estrogen levels naturally diminish in women over the age of 50. However, sometimes, this drop in estrogen level causes symptoms that can disrupt daily life. Symptoms of decreasing estrogen levels include:

• Changes in menstrual cycle


• Hot flashes


• Sleep problems


• Skin dryness


• Changes in breast tissue


• Fatigue


• Vaginal tissue atrophy causing painful sex


• Decreased libido


• Urinary incontinence

 

How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help

Hormone replacement therapy can reduce the symptoms of low estrogen levels in women, improving sexual drive and function, reducing urinary symptoms and increasing better sleep patterns. Women who have reached the age of menopause should discuss the benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy with their physicians to see if it is right for them.

 

Symptoms of Low Testosterone Levels in Men

Testosterone is the primary hormone that controls male sexual characteristics. When testosterone levels fall too low, men may experience a variety of symptoms, such as:

• Increased body fat


• Decreased muscle mass


• Fatigue


• Reduced body hair


• Sleep problems


• Hot flashes


• Decreased sex drive and performance

 

How Testosterone Replacement Therapy Can Help

Testosterone replacement therapy can help to replace the lost hormones needed for normal body function. Testosterone can be given by oral medication, injection, transdermal patch or as a gel that is applied to the skin. Hormone replacement can help to reduce the symptoms of low testosterone levels and can improve muscle tone, energy levels and sex drive. Men who suspect low testosterone as the cause of their symptoms, should discuss the benefits and risk of hormone replacement therapy with their physicians.

 

Categories: estrogen, hormone replacement, Testosterone

The New Testosterone Booster Everyone is Talking About

Did you know that testosterone has as much to do with your physical wellness and wellbeing as it has to do with your sexual health? If you have started to feel old recently, it could be that a dip in testosterone is to blame.

 

At some point, most people have a sudden feeling of being old. It often follows on from a physical challenge, where they realise that they are unable to maintain the kind of physical strength or challenge that they used to, or their recovery takes longer than they expected. It could be something as simple as a bit of DIY in the house which is much harder work than you expected, or it could be that you don’t feel that you are living up to expectations in the bedroom anymore.

 

You probably don’t feel old in your mind, but the realisation that your body feels old is a startling one. The issue could well be that you no longer have enough free testosterone. There are two types of testosterone in the bloodstream – bonded testosterone and free testosterone. The free testosterone plays a very important role in strength, stamina, libido and vitality, all of which feel very important to a man.

 

Over the past few years, the supplements market has been absolutely flooded with options that claim to boost a man’s free testosterone. In other areas, such as the illegal medical treatments sector, potentially dangerous treatments are also offered. Now a group of scientists in Boston have developed a safe dietary supplement that helps to trigger the body to produce its own free testosterone in a natural way.

 

This new supplement is called Nugenix and comes from the rare Fenugreek plant. It has been proved in clinical trials to increase sex drive and improve libido by boosting the body’s natural free testosterone levels.

Categories: body, feel, free, free testosterone, nbsp, nugenix, sexual, Testosterone

Natural Methods Of Relief For Andropause

We have all heard of the menopause – it’s a natural part of life for all women. And it is well known that women have a number of different coping tactics and a lot of support for going through this period. But it is also true that middle-aged men go through a similar sort of thing and it is known as the andropause – or in some cases it is referred to cheekily as the man-o-pause. While clearly it is not as well-known and possibly does not cause the same level of hardship as the menopause does to women, it still has the potential to be a real pain to the wellbeing on many men.

 

The andropause is certainly something that is seen to occur in virtually all men and it is generally characterised as a reduction in two hormones that we strong associate with men, namely: testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The problem is that the reduction in these hormones causes a number of changes in the male body that can lead to a whole host of annoying and upsetting problems including a lowering of the natural libido, problems with erectile dysfunction, fatigue, sleeping disorders, a loss of mental sharpness and a change in the ratio of lean muscle to fat. The symptoms change from person to person but they can still certainly have the potential to cause problems for almost every man who goes through it.

 

If you’ve never heard of the andropause before, let us fill you in on a few of the basic details. It is also known medically as partial androgen deficiency in aging males (PADAM). An androgen is defined as any hormone that helps in the development and maintenance of standard male characteristics, also including secondary sex characteristics. These can be defined as the growth of body hair and muscle mass and strength, the growth of the penis and testicles, the production of sperm, broadening of the chest and growth of the voice box. There are many of other aspects too.

 

It is well known that from the age of 30, the body’s levels of testosterone decline by approximately 1 per cent per year. That means that by the age of 50 or so, a man will probably have lost around 20 per cent of his total testosterone. This can have a huge number of effects on the body and these can be physical, mental and emotional. However, despite the number of issues the reduction in testosterone does not mean that a man’s ability to reproduce declines in the way that women’s ability to reproduce after going through the menopause does. Unlike women, men can generally still have children even as they get much older.

 

It has also been revealed that men who work in pharmaceutical labs, work with agricultural pesticides or who are in regular contact through their adult lives with industrial chemicals are known have been shown to have a greater decline than men who do not work in these conditions, this means that they experience andropause more than others do.

 

There are many ways that we can fight against the effect of the andropause, and one of the most popular is taking drugs to boost the levels of testosterone in your body. Unfortunately these drugs have a number of unpleasant side effects so it can be a better idea to use more natural methods such as herbal extracts or getting plenty of exercise in order to keep your testosterone levels high. This can be very good for you but be sure to consult your doctor if you’re worried.

Categories: andropause, body, Menopause, middle aged men, Natural Methods, nbsp, Testosterone, Women

Why Men Need the Right Balance of Testosterone and Oestrogen

You know the deal with sexual health hormones; it’s testosterone for men, and oestrogen for women, right? While, to a certain extent, that’s true, all men do have some oestrogen, and all women do need a small amount of testosterone. That said, there’s still a lot wellness experts don’t know about the effects of oestrogen in men, and more research needs to be done into this area. What we do know is, like all hormones, oestrogen needs to be kept in check, or else it could have a detrimental effect on male and female wellbeing. However, as a bloke, you’re more likely to experience chronic health conditions as a result of oestrogen levels becoming too high.

 

In your body, testosterone and oestrogen are actually very closely related, with very similar chemical structures. Yet, the impact these hormone have on your body are substantially different. As a man, testosterone affects nearly every cell in your body, working to improve your muscle mass, bone density, heart and blood vessel health and cognitive wellness. An enzyme called aromatase actually makes oestrogen from the circulating testosterone in your body and, as you age, your body starts making more oestrogen and less testosterone. While oestrogen can be made in your liver, muscle and brain, much of the concern lies in the oestrogen made in your fat cells. As obesity rates rise around the world, men will begin making increasing amounts of oestrogen and decreasing amounts of testosterone, which is a dangerous thing indeed.

 

The right balance of testosterone and oestrogen is a beautiful thing; with enough testosterone, men may be able to prevent heart and vascular disease, and have better moods, muscles and blood sugar levels. High rates of oestrogen, however, mess with this latter benefit, which is why you’ll find that diabetics tend to have higher rates of oestrogen. Low levels of testosterone have also been linked to a higher rate of depression, while too much oestrogen might make you more likely to have a heart attack or develop prostate cancer. For years, testosterone has been blamed as the cause of prostate cancer, but actually research is finding that an imbalance of oestrogens in your body is more important in preventing or causing the condition. When all is said and done, too little testosterone and too much oestrogen may play a role in nearly all chronic diseases in men.

 

Oestrogen isn’t necessarily bad for you, but you need to have it in balance. One study recently investigated the role of oestrogen in heart failure, and found that the men with the lowest AND highest amount of oestrogen had the greatest problems – indicating that a happy medium is key. Plus, another research showed that giving elderly men testosterone supplements increased their spatial memory and verbal memory. Seeing as testosterone supplementation also naturally increased the enzyme aromatase, oestrogen levels also rose which, in this case was a good thing. When the researchers blocked the aromatase – and, consequently, the oestrogen – the men did not find any improvement in their verbal memory. This implies that you need some oestrogen, just not too much.

 

So how do you find that happy balance of oestrogen and testosterone? As obesity is perhaps the greatest hindrance to maintaining a healthy hormone balance, getting trim and building muscle through exercise can give you extra insurance against hormonal imbalance and chronic disease. Increased use of alcohol can increase production of oestrogen in men, and so sticking to the recommended limits can help keep things in check. You should also limit your exposure to plastic chemicals, as these may also disrupt proper hormone function. This means avoiding microwaving plastic containers and preventing water bottles from getting too warm in the sun.

Categories: Balance, body, men, nbsp, oestrogen, oestrogen levels, prostate cancer, Testosterone, verbal memory

Hormonal Changes? Maybe He Has Male Menopause!

If your emotional wellness isn’t all-that-great, people blame it on your hormones. If your male counterpart gets in a mood, on the other hand, it’s down to work stress, or money problems, or just one of those days. Right? Perhaps not. While ageing-related hormonal changes are known for affecting female sexual health in a condition called menopause, an increasing amount of evidence points to a similar hormonal change in men. The term “male menopause” may not be entirely accurate, but it still makes the right point: much in the same way that your oestrogen levels drop after a certain age, your partner’s testosterone levels will decrease, and this will have an impact on his wellbeing.

 

For the male version of age-related hormonal changes, many doctors prefer the term “andropause.” The reason for this is testosterone is also known as androgen and, as we’ve already covered, andropause and menopause have quite a few differences, and so it would be misleading to call it “male menopause.” Menopause is a uniquely female condition, signalling the end of menstruation and all that this process entails. Suddenly and dramatically, your oestrogen decreases and you are unable to conceive a child. In andropause, however, men do not lose their ability to reproduce. Although sperm count in semen can decrease with age, sperm production doesn’t stop and men in their 80s have been known to father children. Moreover, the hormonal decrease involved in andropause is very gradual, with most men losing 1% per year starting around age 35.

 

That said, there are many similarities between andropause and menopause. While the condition doesn’t affect all men, the natural decrease in testosterone that comes with ageing has an impact on the vast majoring, including about 25 million men in the United States alone. Then you have remarkably similar symptoms to those you experience during menopause, such as moodiness, fatigue, weight gain, depression, decreased sex drive, decreased muscle mass and bone loss. However, even though these symptoms can be quite pronounced, andropause is still somewhat difficult to diagnose. Many mistake andropause for a midlife crisis or erectile dysfunction (ED). Nonetheless, a midlife crisis is a psychological phenomenon, rather than a physical one, and ED occurs when communication between particular nerves, arteries and muscles breaks down, as opposed to the slow, natural decrease in testosterone that characterises andropause.

 

Therefore, your partner needs to take a trip to the doctor in order to determine whether his symptoms are related to andropause or to some other condition. There is a test for decreased hormone levels in spite of the fact that andropause is a somewhat hazy diagnosis. Your partner’s GP will perform a blood testosterone test if your partner shows up with symptoms like irritability, fatigue and decreased libido. Andropause is basically low testosterone, and so while there are other changes in male sexual systems that occur with ageing – like prostate enlargement – andropause is mostly the result of a gradual decrease in testosterone over many years.

 

With that in mind, the obvious choice for treating andropause seems to be the addition of testosterone, and thistreatment is certainly becoming more common. Just as women have hormone replacement therapy (HRT), men can use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) through injections, creams or oral tablets. The goal of TRT is to get your partner’s testosterone back up to a normal level, but it’s not always that simple. You may already know that HRT has been found to bring on some serious side effects in women – such as triggering certain types of breast cancer – and, in a similar way, TRT has its dangers. Therefore, before trying TRT – which can cause prostate cancer, stop sperm production and increase your partner’s risk of stroke – your partner’s doctor will first advise lifestyle changes, such as exercise, a healthier diet and the elimination of alcohol.

Categories: andropause, male menopause, Menopause, midlife crisis, natural decrease, related hormonal, replacement therapy, sperm production, Symptoms, Testosterone

Getting Hormonal: What Women Need to Know About Their Men

As a woman, you hear a lot about hormones. From the time you’re told about puberty to until well-after menopause, you’re bombarded with sexual health information and more-than-a-few PMS jokes. Your manlier counterpart, on the other hand, is often squarely in the dark about his hormonal wellness, not knowing a thing about what his own chemical compounds are doing – or not doing – while coursing through his veins. In fact, hormones affect male and female wellbeing in much the same way – with, in some cases, oestrogen and testosterone compounds being set apart by a single atom. The truth is that men are just as affected by hormones as you are, and there are a lot of benefits in keeping male hormones in the proper balance.

 

1. Balance is vital: While testosterone plays an important role in your man’s health, it’s only one of several hormones in the mix. Men’s hormone levels change from hour to hour, fuelling a complex endocrine system that sends signals to organs throughout the body. When these hormones become unbalanced or start to decline (which happens roughly by the time your man reaches 40), his body begins to store excess fat and prompts him to eat when he isn’t really hungry. Aside from weight gain – which I’m sure neither of you want – this hormonal imbalance could lead to a slippery slope towards metabolic syndromes, such as diabetes. You man will also be less able to fight stress, and consequently be more tired, anxious, irritable and less interested in sex.

 

2. You can’t always blame testosterone: You often use testosterone as a marker for aggression or strength, but the truth is that testosterone doesn’t really work in this way. If your man has a lot of road rage, you can’t start blaming his hormones. However, if a screaming match does progress into fisticuffs, his testosterone will affect the size and strength of his muscle and bone, which could be handy. Another thing in which testosterone is a prime player is in sexual appetite and sperm production, as well as enabling your man to grow a beard or moustache. Interestingly, testosterone can even impact the way your man feels about technology. This is according to researchers at the University of Bath, who have found that pre-natal testosterone exposure affects the way a man’s brain develops and, later in life, this allows grey matter an easier grasp of new technology. However, too much testosterone can cause acne, male-pattern baldness, high cholesterol levels and liver disease.

 

3. It’s not just for men: Yes, we’re talking about men’s hormones here, but women also have a natural production of testosterone. This hormone plays a key role in the functioning of your ovaries, as well as boosting your bone strength, elevating your mood and even stimulating your sexual appetite. However, too much testosterone in your system can cause you to experience acne, irregular periods, hair in unusual places, weight gain and acanthosis nigricans, a condition in which patches of dark skin appear on the back of your neck and/or in other areas.

 

4. His thyroid hormone declines with age: While a whole host of hormones can impact on your man’s emotional and physical wellbeing, his thyroid hormone becomes less reliable after the age of 60, which has been linked to sexual dysfunction. Low thyroid can lead to erectile dysfunction (which is the inability to maintain penile erection), as well as declining sexual desire, weight gain, hair loss, memory loss, constipation and rough, dry skin. Fortunately, there’s good news; synthetic hormone replacement can usually help these symptoms – including erectile dysfunction caused by hypothyroidism – to reverse themselves.

Categories: erectile dysfunction, hormone, hormones, men, nbsp, sexual, sexual appetite, Testosterone, thyroid, thyroid hormone, weight gain

The Science of Weight Loss: New Proven Ways to Shed Pounds

A lot of research has gone into the best ways to lose weight and take care of your wellness, so why do you still feel in the dark about the whole thing? Some of the findings have been, to put it mildly, counter-intuitive, even suggesting completely new ways of dieting. So, if you’ve struggled to lose weight in the past – and, let’s face it, who hasn’t? – then have a go at some new methods, based on the latest research, that work with your body rather than against it.

 

1. Eat on alternate days: The problem with cutting calories on a daily basis is that you’re constantly hungry and miserable. However, you can still lose weight and protect your wellbeing against health concerns without being in a permanent state of semi-starvation. A few years ago, a study at the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore revealed that giving rats very little food one day and allowing them to eat plenty the next showed virtually all the benefits of a permanent calorie restriction diet. According to Dr. James Johnson, who has set up a website with information on how to do it, the same goes for humans. In fact, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago have just published the results of a ten-week trial on obese patients, which showed that those on the alternate-day diet lost ten pounds to two stone.

 

2. Turn the heating down: If you’ve been dieting for a while, you may remember a dieter’s dream that went by the name of brown fat. In mice, brown-fat tissue was shown to burn off excess energy to keep you warm – unlike the undesirable white stuff that stores excess energy as fat. Because researchers couldn’t find much brown fat in humans, it kind of fell out of the scene. However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has put brown fat back on our radar by exposing people to cold temperatures. If you’re cold, your body makes more brown fat and your weight drops. Women kept at 22˚C used up 27 more grams of body fat a day than those at 27˚C – cool!

 

3. Check your testosterone levels: Sorry, this one’s just for the lads. Middle-aged men with a spreading middle area may be producing too much oestrogen. Both men and women produce testosterone and oestrogen – using the former to make the latter – and this is particularly significant for older men. The ageing process causes older men to make less testosterone, as well as turning more of it into oestrogen. This encourages your body to lay more fat around your middle area, which is the place of fat storage that is connected to a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. Exercising can give you the energy and muscle you need to boost your testosterone and you can also get a prescription for testosterone supplements if your level has become very low. Drinking too much makes your liver less efficient at getting rid of the extra oestrogen, so you might want to consider cutting back at the pub.

 

4. Get more vitamin D: Whether you get out in the sun without sun block, eat more fortified foods or start taking supplements, vitamin D is a superstar for lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatism, as well as your weight. In 2008, a University of Minnesota researcher conducted a small trial which showed that those with more vitamin D in their blood lost more weight. For every extra nanogram per millilitre (ng/ml) they lost an extra half-pound.

Categories: alternate days, body, brown, excess energy, heart disease, Lose weight, middle area, older men, Testosterone, Vitamin D, weight

The Truth About What Testosterone Gel Could Do to You

America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for safeguarding the health, wellness and wellbeing of the population from the dangers of consuming certain substances. The FDA has now announced that it is going to insist, going forward, that manufacturers of two types of testosterone gel put a warning on the boxes of the products. The two types are Testim and AndroGel.

 

This action is going to be required because there have been a number of reports of serious side effects that have occurred when children were accidentally exposed to the product, through having contact with someone who was being treated with the product.

 

The gels are normally used by men who either produce very little of the sex hormone testosterone, or none at all. Both of the gels are applied to the upper body twice per day to help improve the amount of testosterone in the body.

 

Users are instructed to wash their hands after they have used the product, and to cover any treated area of skin by wearing clothing. Nevertheless, eight reports have come to light where children have been exposed to the product in a secondary way. The children range in age from just nine months old to five years old. In most of the cases that were reported, the users failed to follow the instructions on how to use the product appropriately, and this resulted in the child coming into contact with the substance.

 

Side effects of this contact were serious for the children involved. The effects included enlargement of the external sexual organs such as the clitoris or penis, the premature development of pubic hair, an increase in self-stimulation in the children involved, aggressive behaviour and an advancing in bone age.

 

In most cases, when the child was no longer exposed to the product the symptoms were reversed, but in a small number of cases the effects proved to be permanent.

Categories: Children, children involved, Effects, gel, harm, nbsp, product, Testosterone, testosterone gel

How to Rectify a Shortage of Testosterone

Testosterone is vital for a man’s sexual wellness and wellbeing, but it’s actually far more important than most men realise. A shortage of testosterone could actually cost you your life. Testosterone being low leads to all kinds of unpleasant side effects such as loss of muscle mass, low bone density, low sex drive and even increased risk of heart disease, cancer and death.

 

This is something that every man should take seriously, and there are some important things you can do to raise your testosterone levels.

 

One important thing to be aware of is that weight is linked to low testosterone, and the more your waist size goes up, the more your testosterone levels will come down. Just a four point increase in testosterone levels (around 30 extra pounds of body fat on an average 5’10 guy) can actually accelerate the decline of your physical health due to testosterone by up to 10 years. In order to stop this from happening, try a low fat diet and a serious ab-sculpting workout programme.

 

Another study has also shown recently that men who regularly lift weights, see a phenomenal boost in their testosterone levels. As the muscles get stronger, the body produces more and more testosterone. You need to pump iron twice a week in order to see this kind of benefit.

 

You should also be wary of cutting out too much fat from your diet. It’s good to cut down on the fat to a large extend, but eliminating all sources of fat can cause the testosterone in your body to plummet. Men who consume fat have high testosterone levels, but you need to make sure that it’s healthy fat such as the fat found in fish and nuts, in order to avoid counteracting all your good work by piling on the pounds.

Categories: body, health, levels, low, nbsp, order, Testosterone, testosterone levels

Testing Testosterone: Hormone Not Actually Key to Desire

Testosterone is often viewed through the lens of male sexual wellness; it bestows virility and is the reason why men are often in the mood, but a new sexual health study has turned our view of testosterone on its head. The research, published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour, has found that testosterone actually isn’t linked to sexual desire in healthy men at all. And, if you’re a woman, the hormone may be a dampener to your relationship, causing you to experience less interest in sex with a partner. Testosterone is, however, linked to greater interest in masturbation in healthy women.

According to study researcher Sari van Anders, a behavioural neuroendocrinologist at the University of Michigan, healthy individuals are rarely studied for sexual desire and hormones, which make the findings of this research so unique. Usually, such studies are based on animal subjects or people with abnormally low or high testosterone who come into clinics for treatment. ‘People have argued that sex research focuses too much on dysfunction and pharmaceutical treatment as opposed to questions like pleasure or relationships or stress,’ van Anders says. ‘There is a whole scope of factors that go unstudied.’

Even when factors such as stress and body image are studied with regards to how they affect people’s sexual wellbeing, researchers rarely, at the same time, look at hormonal influences, and this is where van Anders differed. For her study, 196 volunteers (105 men and 91 women) were asked to fill out questionnaires on their relationships, their stress and moods, and their own feelings about their bodies and sexuality.  The participants also reported how frequently they had partnered sex and masturbated, and how frequently they had the desire to masturbate or to have sex with a partner.

van Anders comments that while you tend to think of desire as a single phenomenon, the desire to have sex may come from a different place than the desire to masturbate. ‘When you’re feeling sexual desire for a partner there might be other factors that play into that,’ she notes. ‘For example, how you felt about that partner that day, how attracted you feel to that partner, how attractive you feel to that partner, your relationship and things like that.’ The desire to masturbate, on the other hand, may be less influenced by social factors like relationship satisfaction, and more by internal reasons.

The study results revealed that women with higher testosterone reported less desire for partnered sex. van Anders surmised that partner desire relates to a need to be close and connected, whilst masturbation is simply a need for pleasure. Solitary sexual desire was higher in the higher-testosterone women, with 27 of the women involved in the study reporting they had no desire to masturbate at all – and these women had lower testosterone than the women who said they sometimes felt desire to masturbate.

When it came to gender differences – i.e. why men, on average, want sex more often than the average woman – again, testosterone was not the culprit. The only factor that did link to gender differences was masturbation. Women masturbated less often than men and correspondingly reported less desire. That said, this research does not give us a way to tell whether the desire or the masturbation comes first. However, van Anders points out that there are intriguing hints that perhaps the difference in masturbation habits could explain the desire gap. She explains, ‘The idea is that if women don’t feel comfortable with their genitals and masturbating, and if they don’t think it’s okay and refrain from doing it and don’t express their desires, after a while, the desire might change as well.’

Categories: desire, gender differences, higher testosterone, masturbation, partnered sex, Research, sexual, sexual desire, Testosterone, van anders, Women

The Science of Desire: How to Get Your Sex Life Going Again

Once you reach a certain age, you almost feel like saying “goodbye” to your sexual wellbeing. Your body does not respond to sex in the same way it did when you were younger, and so you find other aspects of your wellness – such as your self-esteem and connection to your partner – waning. However, there are scientifically-proven ways to get your sexual health back on track, no matter your age, so how can you get back into the saddle, so to speak?

 

 

1. Low testosterone: While we tend to think of testosterone as a male hormone, small amounts fuel a woman’s sex drive. However, when you go through menopause, your testosterone starts to decline, and your desire plummets with it. This is especially noticeable if you’re also using hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The first think you need to do is talk to your gynaecologist and get a blood test, and then stabilise your testosterone. Studies have shown this impact all areas of sexual wellness, from lubrication to stronger, more powerful orgasms. So, how do you do it?

 

Doctors sometimes prescribe testosterone gel, but you may be concerned that it will make you grow hair on your chin or give you huge muscles. However, Anita Clayton, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Virginia and author of Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy, explains, ‘The doses prescribed for women aren’t large enough to stimulate male characteristics.’ Certified sex researcher Beverly Whipple, PhD, professor emerita at Rutgers University and co-author of The Science of Orgasm, recommends libido-boosting herbs, such as ArginMax for Women. This nutritional supplement – which contains ginseng, ginkgo, multivitamins, and minerals – improves your sexual desire, including clitoral sensation and orgasm frequency, by up to 74%.

 

 

2. Distraction: While women are known to be good at multi-tasking, going over your shopping list during sex is probably not the best way to get into the moment. Research has shown that women’s brains are naturally more active than men’s, even during sex, due to lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Clayton comments, ‘Dopamine creates the desire to go after a reward—in this case, an orgasm.’ Dopamine also plays an important role in increasing the flow of sensory impulses to the genitals, which is essential for arousal. Therefore, low levels of dopamine can distract you during sex.

 

If you get distracted during sex, you might want to get yourself tested for attention deficit disorder (ADD). Daniel G. Amen, MD, a psychiatrist, brain imaging specialist, and author of Sex on the Brain, notes that ADD may be associated with low dopamine levels. However, he says the good news is that ‘when a woman is finally treated for ADD, usually with a combination of drug therapy and behaviour modification, it improves her sex life—not to mention the rest of her life as well.’ Another option is to try a DHEA supplement, which may increase your production of dopamine and tends to spike right before you have orgasm to enhance desire and focus. However, Clayton warns that DHEA can affect some people’s cholesterol levels, and recommends no more than 25mg to 50mg, so check with your doctor before taking it.

 

 

3. Dryness: If it’s dry down below, sex can be the last thing you want. The lining of your vagina is extremely sensitive to oestrogen, which means it becomes less sensitive as you age your body starts producing less oestrogen during perimenopause. Some women turn to hormone therapy for help, but there are other solutions available. Whipple advises you use a lubricant that goes straight to the source, such as Zestra. This is a non-prescription feminine arousal fluid made from botanical oils, which stimulates your nerves and blood vessels to increase arousal. Whipple adds that insertable vaginal oestrogen rings or tablets can significantly improve lubrication without the risks of oral hormone therapy, such as increased breast cancer risk.

Categories: desire, Distraction, dopamine, dryness, Hormone Therapy, low testosterone, nbsp, nbsp nbsp, sex life, Testosterone, Women

How to Stay Healthy With These Top Tips

Your hormones get a bad reputation, from making you feel bloated to being blamed for making you crave carbs. But they aren’t all bad – there are some that offer significant health benefits and can even help you to lose weight. Here are some ways you can work in conjunction with your hormones to maintain a healthy weight and harness their positive powers.

Ease stress with endorphins

Often referred to as the body’s ‘feel-good’ hormones, these can help you to ease the pain of stress and improve your wellbeing. There are ways that you can encourage the release of endorphins, such as eating spicy foods which activate the nerve endings on your tongue, prompting the release of these hormones. Similarly, you can stimulate the nerves near your nose that signal to your brain to produce endorphins by chewing peppermint gum.

Stay alert with dopamine

Dopamine controls your concentration and long-term memory, so a surge of this hormone can help you to feel more motivated and focused. Studies show that dopamine levels spike when you listen to music, so playing your favourite songs when you’re paying bills or doing the housework could help you to power through that little bit quicker. Alternatively, you could get a protein-rich snack such as a handful of nuts or a couple of hard boiled eggs.

Maintain a healthy weight with leptin and grehlin

Leptin is released by the fat cells in the body and lets you know when you’ve eaten enough. Grehlin, produced in the stomach, sends signals to the brain when you’re hungry. One study suggests that eating a carb-filled and protein-rich breakfast, alongside a cookie or a piece of chocolate, helps with this release. Sleeping more can also help to balance these hormones properly, so make sure you make time for sleep. If stress and worry are keeping you up at night, make a list of things that are worrying you to help you sleep.

Balance your mood with progesterone and oxytocin

Oxytocin is the bonding hormone, because it encourages you to feel loved and give you a sense of trust in others. Progesterone is produced by the ovaries and helps to create calm and balance. Studies have shown that singing is a great way of improving your oxytocin levels, so start the day by singing in the shower or humming when you’re feeling irritable. You should also hug more – researchers have found that women who hug more have higher levels of oxytocin and lower blood pressure. You should also feel closer to a friend to increase your progesterone levels, so walk arm in arm with a loved one or pet an animal to replicate the feeling. Anything that improves your mood and helps you to feel closer to someone or something could help with the increase of these hormones.

Boost your body confidence with oestrogen and testosterone

Testosterone can help you to feel more assertive and improve your self-confidence, whilst oestrogen can boost a better skin tone by boosting water to the cells to give you a youthful glow. Studies show that testosterone levels increase when you’ve been exercising so try to opt for burst training, which works by building up to a faster pace for thirty seconds after moderate exercise. Zinc can also help, for both testosterone and oestrogen production. You can use supplements of at least 25mg a day, or try eating more lean beef, yoghurt, pumpkin seeds or dark chocolate. If you’re opting for the supplement route, you should check with your GP beforehand to ensure that it is safe.

Categories: feel, feel closer, healthy weight, hormones, levels, lifestyle, oxytocin, protein rich, Testosterone, Weight Loss

No Muscle, Energy or Sex Drive? He Must Have Low Oestrogen

As you get older, wellness experts are likely to blame your waning testosterone levels for your loss of muscle, energy and sex drive, but oestrogen might be getting off scot-free as a result. This is according to a new study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which found that your decrease in oestrogen may play a bigger role in your age-related health concerns than previously thought.

 

The study found that declining levels of oestrogen can have a negative effect on your wellbeing, leading you to accumulate more body fat – which is something that we previously blamed testosterone for. Study researcher Dr. Joel Finkelstein, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, commented, ‘The function of oestrogen in men has largely been ignored,’ as research has largely limited the study of the hormone in men to the role of oestrogen deficiency in bone loss. He added, ‘Men make oestrogen from testosterone, and women do, too,’ which is why your levels of both hormones naturally drop.

 

400 healthy men aged 20 to 50, all of whom had normal testosterone levels, took part in the study. These participants were injected with a drug that drastically lowered their normal production of the hormone, until the testosterone reached pre-puberty levels of production. 198 men were then given a 16-week supply of testosterone gel for their skin, in one of four dosage levels or a placebo. Similar doses of the gel were given to the other 202 volunteers, but these men also took a drug designed to block the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen over the 16-week study.

 

The divvying out of the gel and drug doses was arranged in such a way as to tell the researchers which symptoms – changes in body fat, muscle mass, strength and sexual function – were to do with reductions in testosterone, oestrogen or both. The researchers also arranged the study in this way to determine the level of testosterone at which these physiological effects occur. The results revealed that when oestrogen levels drop, men experience some of the same consequences that women do after menopause; increased bone loss, lowered libido, and more fat around the midsection.

 

While changes in strength and muscle mass and size were closely connected to lower testosterone levels, it was the decline of both testosterone and oestrogen that reduced the men’s sex drive and erectile function. Finkelstein noted, ‘We were surprised at the dramatic effects that low levels of oestrogen had on fat accumulation and sexual function in men. We knew that these effects were seen in studies on mice, and these results very accurately predicted what occurred in humans.’

 

According to Dr. Bradley Anawalt, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle, who was not involved in the research, ‘This is a beautifully done study that allows physicians to get a little better handle on interpreting testosterone levels, but the real mind-blower of this study is the idea that oestrogen has an important role in male physiology.’ Anawalt went on to say that the study has very important implications for medical practice, as the results clearly show how testosterone has a differential effect on body organs, such as fat, muscle, the penis and the brain.

 

With the results of this study, your doctor will be better able to understand the threshold levels of testosterone in the blood associated with age-related complaints, and at what levels testosterone therapy may benefit you. However, Anawalt warned that the study is limited by the fact that it used the average “normal” level of testosterone in men (300 to 900 nanograms per decilitre) to measure treatment outcomes in the participants, so your doctor needs to be careful about applying these results to you as an individual.

Categories: age related, bone loss, men's health, muscle energy, muscle mass, oestrogen, Research, Sex Drive, sexual function, Testosterone, testosterone levels

Can Testosterone Work as an Anti-Ageing Hormone?

Testosterone has many benefits for men, one of which is being touted as the fountain of youth for its anti-ageing properties. Men say that it helps them to build muscle and lose weight, as well as providing energy, but can it really work? In America, testosterone therapy prescriptions are increasing significantly compared to just ten years ago. The study reported that 50 percent of men who opted for this therapy had lower than normal levels of the hormone. However, 25 percent didn’t even have their testosterone levels tested before starting the treatment. Australia has seen similar results, with men looking to long-lasting injections and gels as a way of getting their hormone fix. In fact, studies show that the latest pharmaceutical figures indicate that the number of men using testosterone injections has more than doubled. Doctors advise that this is wasteful and misguided, providing no rational evidence to support the prescriptions. They further state that it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and can accelerate prostate disease.

While the reports indicate that this is a frivolous anti-ageing scheme, there are legitimate reasons for men to use testosterone. Men suffering with androgen deficiencies or a condition known as Kinefelter syndrome will use it as a form of treatment, However, there has been no increase in the number of men with those conditions, meaning that more and more people are using it simply for the energy boost and weight loss benefits. It is being promoted as an andro-pause for ‘male menopause’ or for male sexual dysfunction. The growing overuse of this hormone could be for use as an anti-ageing tonic or as a way to boost a man’s performance in the bedroom. There are clinical trials being carried out as to the uses of testosterone as a possible treatment for obesity and diabetes – however, the results of these are yet to be published.

Categories: ageing, anti, anti ageing, hormone, men, Testosterone, treatment

Is Male Menopause Something to Worry About?

Everyone ages, and with this they experience hormonal changes which lead to numerous bodily changes. Where women experience dramatic hormone shifts, thought, men experience theirs more gradually over a period of many years. This has been coined as the ‘male menopause’, which is something of a myth but refers to genuine hormonal changes which men may notice as they age. The term usually refers to the decline in testosterone levels, or the reduction in the bioavailability of this hormone in relation to ageing. However, it is important to recognise that the female and male menopauses are very different processes. In women, the hormones plummet dramatically, but men suffer far less intense shifts. Most doctors prefer to use the term andropause, as this better describes the age-related changes in male patients. Of course, everyone is different, and testosterone levels vary from man to man. Older men, though, have lower levels than younger men. As you age, the testosterone levels decline by around one percent each year after the age of 30. By the age of 70, they can have declined by as much as 50 percent.

 

You can spot the symptoms of a low testosterone levels in the body with a variety of symptoms. Your sexual function may be affected, including erectile dysfunction or fewer spontaneous erections. Some men notice that there are changes to their sleep patterns, leading to insomnia or increased sleepiness. Physically, men sometimes complain of an increase in body fat, reduced muscle and strength, and decrease bone density. There may even be a loss of body hair and swollen or tender breasts, which is known as gynecomastia. Much like women experience in menopause (thought far rarer in men) you may have hot flushes, and less energy. Lastly, hormones affect our emotions so it’s natural that with a shift in the levels, you may notice some emotional changes. This might lead to a decrease in self confidence, feelings of sadness or depression, or trouble concentrating. These are all natural processes with age, but some may be an underlying issue relating to a separate health problem – it’s worth speaking to your GP who can advise why you’re experiencing certain symptoms. You should be honest with your GP – work with them to identify any health issues which may be contributing to how you’re feeling, so that they can determine what the best course of treatment is. Don’t keep any information back, even if you think it isn’t related – it may help with your diagnosis.

 

You should also choose healthy lifestyle choices, such as more exercise and a better diet. Your lifestyle can help you to maintain energy and lean muscle mass, as well as building strength. Regular exercise can also affect your mood, balancing out any emotional problems you’ve been experiencing as a result in the testosterone shift. If you’re feeling down regularly, speak to someone about it – you may be suffering with depression, which can make you irritable, isolated and withdrawn. These are issues which are best dealt with early, before they develop and become harder to treat. Therefore, if you’re noticing that you’re feeling lonely or withdrawn more than usual, you should consult your GP who can refer you to a counsellor if need be, or prescribe medication to combat the issue. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the treatment of testosterone replacement therapy, as the benefits aren’t clear, particularly for older men. It could potentially increase the risk of prostate cancer and lead to other health problems. It’s best to speak to your GP to ascertain if it is the right choice for you.

Categories: Experience, feeling, levels, male, male menopause, men, Menopause, older men, Testosterone, testosterone levels, women experience

Move Over, Boys: Female Sex Drugs Could Soon be Available

There’s a little blue pill to get the boys going, but what about your sexual wellness? Two new drugs may be on the horizon for female sexual health which, fingers crossed, will be getting you in the mood in just a few years time.

 

In the Netherlands and the US, a research company called Emotional Brain has been conducting clinical trials, the findings of which the soon hope to present to the FDA. According to the company, there are two main causes of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), which is one of the main diagnoses of low sex drive in women. The root of HSDD in women is more complicated that when the issue occurs in men, which is why it’s easier to find treatments for the lads. Henrik Rasmussen, MD, PhD, chief medical officer for the Emotional Brain study, notes that the two causes are:

 

1. Low attention to sexual cues, or a loss of interest in sex.

 

2. Maladaptive sexual inhibitory mechanisms. This means that you’re more inhibited, usually because you’ve had bad experiences in the past, and this has affected your sexual well-being.

 

Emotional Brain has created two drugs to tackle the two causes of HSDD, but both contain testosterone to boost libido. For women who have lost interest in sex there’s Lybrido, which also contains sildenafil. This is the drug used in Viagra which increases the blood flow to your genitals. Therefore, the use of testosterone and sildenafil treats the issue on both a psychological and physical level. Rasmussen explains, ‘Testosterone is probably the most potent driver of libido.’

 

However, if your problem lies in increased inhibitions, you may be able to find relief with Lybridos. This pill contains testosterone and buspirone, which is a drug used to treat anxiety. This may be crucial if your issues stem from bad experiences or sexual abuse. Rasmussen comments, ‘If you only gave [these women] testosterone alone, you increase libido but because of the bad experiences, they’ll block it. This way, they’re getting the full benefit of testosterone.’ Plus, as both pills start working between one to six hours after you take them, they allow you to boost your arousal (almost) exactly when you want it, without having to worry about any side effects from taking testosterone long term.

Categories: Causes, drugs, emotional brain, Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD), nbsp, sexual, Testosterone, Women

Can Men Experience The Menopause As Women Do?

Age has an impact on both men and women where the production of sex hormones is concerned, and while these changes are inevitable, they do affect individuals differently. While some people have very few symptoms, others find them completely debilitating. However, while this may be the case, this drop in sex hormone production is a natural process and isn’t something to be ashamed of. Women experience this drop quite abruptly and usually in their 40s or 50s – it’s known as the menopause. Usually occurring over a period of a few months or even years, the ovaries dramatically reduce their production of oestrogen and her periods will cease – women may also experience hot flushes, sweating, mood changes, breast changes, weight fluctuations, changes in their interest in sex, and alterations in their sexual responses, such as vaginal dryness. In men, however, the process is a lot more gradual and may occur over decades rather than months. The term ‘male menopause’ or andropause, is not technically accurate, as men don’t experience periods in order to cease having them. However, experts refer to this stage in a man’s life as ‘partial androgen deficiency of the ageing male’ – more commonly referred to as PADAM. This is the reduced production of testosterone from a man’s 40s and onwards. There is very little research to support this lesser-known condition, meaning that hormone supplementation, as in women, is not yet prescribed.

 

Androgens are steroid hormones which specifically aid tissue growth and brain function. Men have larger quantities of this hormone, but they are present in both genders. In men, they play a vital role in the production of testosterone after puberty. In order to ascertain whether an androgen deficiency is occurring within the body, an expert assessment will need to take place. PADAM isn’t easy to diagnose as there are numerous symptoms, but some of the more common signs include hot flushes, sweating, nervousness and insomnia. Men experiencing this problem may also notice tiredness and irritability, lack of motivation, low mental energy, low self esteem, decreased sense of wellbeing, depression and being easily frightened. They may feel diminished muscle strength or lack of physical energy, as well as a lack of desire for sex, poor erections, weakness of ejaculation, reduced quality of orgasm and less sexual activity. The changes in the body caused by PADAM could lead to risks to your health, such as depression, reduced overall wellbeing, sexual dysfunction, cognitive impairment and lowered physical strength. There is no set test for this problem, but low testosterone levels in the blood could help the diagnosis.

 

There are many medical professionals who don’t believe that PADAM is a real condition, but there are some who say that they find the symptoms in many patients. Currently, it is advised that a practical approach is best – this means that if there are multiple symptoms, a therapeutic trial of testosterone supplement therapy for up to three months may be beneficial. This can be taken in a number of forms, but your GP will advise you which is best for your symptoms. There are side effects of testosterone therapy which are worth considering, including weight gain, acne, headaches, increased aggression and male-pattern baldness. There have been some studies which also flag up controversial links to the prostate gland – men with abnormally low levels of testosterone have small prostate glands. Replacement therapy leads to the prostate growing in size to about the average size predicted for their age. But current evidence suggests this is not the case and that it doesn’t lead to abnormal size – testosterone shouldn’t be taken by men who have symptoms of restricted urine flow due to prostate enlargement, though.

Categories: health, male menopause, Testosterone

Young and Hormonal: Why Are More Men Taking Testosterone?

Men use the hormone testosterone to enhance their wellbeing in a variety of ways; some use it to lose weight, while others say it helps them improve their muscle wellness or energy. Either way, men in the US have touted testosterone as the fountain of youth, as a new study has found that prescriptions for testosterone therapy have increased significantly in the past 10 years.

 

The new study, which appears in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that while 50% of the men who received testosterone therapy had lower than normal levels of testosterone, approximately 25% did not have their testosterone levels tested before starting the treatment. The findings suggest that the hormone is being used as an anti-ageing method, rather than a medically necessary treatment. However, it’s not just men in the US who can’t resist the temptation of testosterone.

 

Two new Australian testosterone products – a long-acting injection and a gel – has caused testosterone prescribing to increase in all states and territories, says Dr David Handelsman from the Anzac Research Institute. His research shows that the number of men using long-acting testosterone injections almost doubled between 1992 and 2010. According to Dr Handelsman, ‘It’s wasteful, it’s misguided, it’s not rational prescribing. The risks are accelerating cardiovascular disease and accelerating prostate disease. The risks are not facts yet but they are very good reasons to be cautious.’

 

You can be prescribed testosterone if you suffer androgen deficiency or a condition called Klinefelter syndrome, but Dr Handlesman asserts that diagnoses of the conditions haven’t increased at all. Rather, testosterone is being promoted with ‘speculative, non-approved indications such as andro-pause (male menopause) or male sexual dysfunction,’ Dr Handlesman says. ‘It is highly marketable with an easily connected popularity which creates a demand that bypasses sound clinical practice.’

 

However, there are legitimate reasons for men to use testosterone, and clinical trials are currently underway to determine if testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) could be used as a potential treatment for a range of conditions, including obesity and diabetes, and even the ageing process. In 2010, the preliminary results of a Prince Henry Institute study, based in Melbourne, found that TRT helped ageing and obese men to experience a reduction of body fat and improved muscle mass.

Categories: Health Risks, Research, Testosterone

Under the Microscope: A Closer Look at Testosterone

As a man, your testosterone plays a huge part in your sexual health – as well as other aspects of your wellbeing. The hormone helps maintain your bone density, fat distribution, sperm production, muscle strength and mass, and red blood cell production. However, when it comes to your sex drive, studies have suggested that other factors may influence libido.

Italian researchers demonstrated that porn –not testosterone – had a negative effect on the sex drives of young healthy men. Based on a survey of 28,000 users, the researchers found that the wellness of more and more men is affected by “sexual anorexia”, making them unable to get erections because of Internet porn use that started in their mid-teens. Carlo Foresta, head of the Italian Society of Andrology and Sexual Medicine (SIAMS), explained, ‘It starts with lower reactions to porn sites, then there is a general drop in libido and in the end it becomes impossible to get an erection.’ However, this effect was found to be reversible within just a few short months.

In 2012, Australian researchers found men’s testosterones levels may wane over the years due to behavioural and health changes, rather than their age. According to study co-author Gary Wittert, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Adelaide in Adelaide, Australia, ‘Declining testosterone levels are not an inevitable part of the ageing process, as many people think.’ He noted, ‘Men who had declines in testosterone were more likely to be those who became obese, had stopped smoking or were depressed at either clinic visit.’ Wittert added, ‘Also, regular sexual activity tends to increase testosterone.’

Unlike Wittert’s study, US researchers noted that levels of testosterone in men were shown to be falling over a 17-year period ending in 2004, but neither ageing nor changes in certain health factors, such as obesity or smoking, could completely explain the phenomenon. Lead author Thomas G. Travison, PhD, of the New England Research Institutes, commented, ‘Male serum testosterone levels appear to vary by generation, even after age is taken into account. In 1988, men who were 50 years old had higher serum testosterone concentrations than did comparable 50-year-old men in 1996. This suggests that some factor other than age may be contributing to the observed declines in testosterone over time.’

Categories: Porn, Research, Testosterone

Is it Always Safe to Take Testosterone Supplements?

If you’re a man, your testosterone levels can decline with age and this can have an impact on your wellbeing. Your lower levels of the hormone can affect your muscle tone, energy levels and even your libido, which is why more and more men are starting to take testosterone supplements in an effort to boost their overall wellness, as well as their sexual health. But is it always safe to take testosterone supplements?

According to Dr David Samadi, vice chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, testosterone supplementation isn’t always the best idea. Your testosterone levels peak at the age of 40 and drop by a percentage point every year after that. Male menopause can typically occur at around the ages of 55 to 60, meaning you can experience low testosterone levels, depression, weight gain and a decline in drive to do much of anything. Dr Samadi explains, ‘It’s the same phenomenon that women go through except menopause in women is really abrupt and they get to age 50-55 and menopause hits them hard. With men, it’s very gradual, and that’s one of the reasons why they don’t really feel that pace.’

He notes that there’s a good reason why much of the media surrounding the hormone has highlighted testosterone supplements as a cure-all against the ageing process for men. Dr Samadi comments, ‘Testosterone really is the fuel for men. It’s the source of energy. It’s great for bone density, for muscle mass. It’s the reason for sex drive and libido, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to really stay on top of it.’ However, taking testosterone as a supplement may not be the right choice for you, especially if you have a history of prostate cancer or elevated prostate-specific antigen levels.

Testosterone actually feeds your prostate cancer cells, and so there is much debate in the medical community as to whether men at risk for prostate cancer or a recurrence of the disease should take testosterone supplements. Dr Samadi says, ‘It really depends on the patient…it depends on how low the testosterone is, what the symptoms are, and it’s a discussion with the patient.’

Is it Always Safe to Take Testosterone Supplements?

Categories: Safety, Supplements, Testosterone