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Women have known it for a long time. Well, maybe men have too, but just wouldn’t admit their hormones are out of whack. They’re moody, cranky, fatigued, and yes, not in the mood no matter how stunning and alluring you look.

Some call it male menopause or “manopause” (I really dislike ‘cutesy’ terms). Call it what you want but realize it is a valid condition. Hormonal shifts can affect numerous aspects of middle-aged men’s lives — from muscle and bone strength to mental sharpness and the aforementioned conditions.

Women have vast experience with hormones “running wild” — from PMS to menopause. However, men might be unaware that declining testosterone can affect their minds and bodies in strange and sometimes unpleasant ways.

The testosterone decline is far more gradual than our estrogen situation. Around age 30, men’s testosterone levels begin to drop about one percent a year. By age 55, roughly one in three finds himself in the low testosterone range, according to Dr. Robert Tan, a gerontologist and author of The Andropause Mystery. (Andropause refers to the deficiency in the production of androgens, a group of hormones of which testosterone is one.)

Dr. Tan says he has seen a shift in the major complaint of low testosterone men away from sex drive problems.

“Now lethargy and fatigue are the most dominant complaint,” he says. “They also can’t concentrate, can’t focus.”

Tan screens for hormone problems and treats them accordingly. Patient health history, a physical exam, and blood tests aid the doctor in determining if there are other factors instead such as diabetes, particular drugs, or alcohol abuse. Tan also can’t ignore the possibility of clinical depression or the psychological impact of a midlife crisis.

Before we talk about treatment, Dr. Tan and others recommend that men have their testosterone levels checked at about age 40 so they have a baseline to compare future measurements.

If treatment is necessary, it involves testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in the form of a patch, gel, or injection. It’s imperative that the patient is closely monitored because testosterone can cause the prostate gland to grow. Also, it can stimulate the growth of existing prostate cancer or breast cancer in a man.

Since testosterone increases the number of red blood cells, the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke is enhanced. Thus, tests for liver and heart damage should be done too.

For the past 30 years, Dr. Stephen Winters, chief of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Louisville, has held a keen interest in male hormones and how they work. Regarding TRT, he cautions, “The benefits and risks for men are still being researched.” But he also stated, “There is more awareness of the symptoms and signs of testosterone decline and what it may do. At one time men who had sexual dysfunction were unwilling to admit that they had a problem and unwilling to talk to their physician, and usually their physician was totally uneducated and unable to help the patient in any way.”

So guys, get checked and don’t always blame the women for mood swings. It just might be you.

Kay Sager is a certified fitness and aquatic specialist living at Port of the Islands. She is a personal trainer using land and water fitness and teaches swimming. She also has written articles for Physician and Sports Medicine among other publications. Kay can be reached by e-mail: kswimfit@aol.com.