Menopause for men is real

You've heard of menopause, but what about manopause?

That's right, middle aged men can go through hormonal changes too.

Manopause is a phenomenon many men aren't aware of. It usually hits men in their 40's and 50's.

Dr. Karen Boyle with GBMC says, "Men go through hormone changes just like women go through hormone changes and those hormone changes can basically drive down a man's testosterone."   

And when testosterone levels go down, it can lead to a host of problems like lack of motivation, low sex drive and weight gain.

Dr. Boyle says, "Depression is something that's caused by low testosterone as well. Lack of energy at the gym or difficulty recovering from really good workouts... And sometimes having difficulty focusing at work or at home."

Symptoms can get worse because many men won't know to get treated.

Dr. Boyle says, "Men may not even be aware that this phenomenon occurs so they may just have it explained by other things like I'm stressed at work I'm not getting enough sleep where there may be a real medical hormonal explanation to it."  

So if you notice a change in your middle-aged man, don't ignore it. He could be going through manopause.

Dr. Boyle says, "If you're exhibiting those symptoms it's worth getting your testosterone checked and seeing a urologist to discuss those findings and see if you're a candidate for testosterone replacement."