Aging Men

Whilst currently, there are two older women to every older man, men are showing signs of living longer.

Little research has been done in terms of male experiences with aging in terms of social isolation, role change and so on. Nor is there any material on gay older men. The only documented information we have is in terms of anxiety, financial problems, loneliness, and issues with intimacy and sexuality.

Men, in general, are not as concerned with their health as women. Most in fact, rate their health as good or excellent, despite most being diagnosed with at least one chronic illness. Read more about health checks for men.

Factors Affecting Male Aging

The primary factors affecting how well men age include:

General Wellness - Higher risks for disease, including cancer, and shorter lifespans.

Higher iron stores - decreasing longevity

Lifestyle - the physical health of the aging man is strongly affected by their lifestyle behavior 20 - 60 .

Hormone Levels - men are generally less interested in maintaining hormone levels - this greatly affects the risk of developing prostate cancer and other aging factors.

Skin Thickness - we all recognise that men have emotionally thicker skins that women, but the outer thorny layer of the physical skin is also thicker. This means males are less prone to develop wrinkles than women.

Self Management - Men are not so good at creating their own interests. They often associate retirement at 65 with stop working, stop learning, stop living and riding out the rest of their days. This may be further impacted by the mental decline of men with age.

Work-Home Balance - Career stereotypes have merged over the past two generations; the role of men appears to change more at 65, than the role of women. In the current aging generation, more equal job sharing and home duty sharing, is likely to reduce the difference at this age.

Cosmetic Treatments - the number of men seeking antiaging cosmetic treatments has risen significantly in recent years.

Men Aging Successfully

Successful aging partly depends upon retirement planning and the ability to realign life expectations and life goals. Making a positive effort not to become isolated, or fall into a state of idleness is a big part of how the body will respond to advancing years.

There are certain conditions that pertain more to aging men, than aging women. Whilst some of these obviously relate to male physiology, others occur in both men and women, but more in men due to lifestyle factors.

Men go through aging male syndrome (AMS) between the ages of 35 and 65 when their hormone levels (especially testosterone) decline.

Testosterone is a hormone that helps maintain sex drive, sperm production, pubic and body hair, muscle, and bone. Testosterone levels decrease over time. This decline is normal in healthy males as they age. Unlike women who lose their fertility (ability to get pregnant) when they reach menopause, men do not lose their fertility. All men have different experiences — some men's hormone levels go down more than others, and some have more symptoms than other men.

A decline in testosterone can affect a man's body. AMS has many signs:

Physical

• Feeling fat/weight gain
• Muscle loss
• Bone loss
• Hair loss

Functioning

• Problems sleeping
• Increased urination
• Loss of energy

Sexual

• Less interest in sex
• Erection problems

Mental And Emotional

• Feeling irritable or angry
• Nervousness
• Depression
• Problems with memory and concentration

Tests For Male Menopause

If you're having these symptoms of low testosterone, talk to your doctor. You can get your testosterone level tested. It's a simple blood test.

Get the test in the morning, when the testes release more testosterone. Because a normal level of testerosterone is different for each man, it may be hard to know if you have low testorsterone — it helps if you had a testosterone test earlier in your life, so you'll be able to see any change.

If you do have low testosterone, think about visiting a specialized doctor, like an endocrinologist or urologist, who can work with you to treat this problem using male HRT.

Male specific aging conditions include:

• Prostate - Bladder
• Colo-Rectal Cancer
• Testicular Cancer

NEXT: Health Checks For Men

Aging Men Index | About Male Aging | Health Checks For Men | Male Fertility | Aging Male Skin | Mental Decline | Cancer in Men | High Iron | Male Antiaging | Male HRT | Male Cosmetic Treatments