by Dr. Brooke Azie-Rentz
If you listen to sports radio you have no doubt heard the following commercial with these three questions:
Do you want more sex drive?
Do you want more energy?
Do you want to feel younger?
The tag line is, “If you said yes to any of these questions, then you may have low Testosterone.” We at AIM don’t know anyone that wouldn’t want more sex drive, more energy or to feel younger! But why and how can we accomplish that goal? Let us explain how hormone changes occur, what to expect, and how to continue living a youthful lifestyle.
Hormone changes are a natural part of aging both in men and women. In women, the hormonal change is usually dramatic, with symptoms like hot flashes and irregular menstrual cycles; while in men, the decrease in testosterone can occur gradually and be less obvious. Kind of like the boiled frog scenario–you wake up one day,look in mirror and proclaim, “When did that happen?!”
The term “male menopause” or “andropause” is sometimes used to describe decreasing age-related testosterone levels, or a reduction in the bioavailability of testosterone, and the symptoms associated with that reduction.
In evolutionary terms, ours bodies have not caught up to the advances of modern medicine.
Men live much longer today than they did hundreds of years ago. With the invention of antibiotics, surgery protocols, anesthesia and electricity to keep our food safe, we no longer have survival of the fittest. However midway through our lives, our bodies start to shut down as if there is no longer a need for optimal levels of testosterone. A thousand years ago, when you reached 40-50 years of age and could no longer hunt, you were an extra mouth to feed and were expected to leave the village, that is if you were not
already dead! That’s right: the decrease in testosterone was really a sign that it was time to die! Today, the average life expectancy for men is 76-years-old, however, our bodies still expect us to die at 50, so we continue to see a decrease in testosterone starting at age 30 at a rate of around 1 percent per year.
Symptoms of low testosterone levels include: changes in sexual function and sleep patterns, increased body fat, decreased muscle mass and emotional changes. Low testosterone can even be a precursor to other diseases such as insulin insensitivity and heart disease.
Here at AIM, we offer a comprehensive array of treatments to increase testosterone. From conventional hormones, to treatments such as acupuncture, herbal supplements, and our specialty, bioidentical hormonal preparations available in pills and creams. This includes The Wiley Protocol for Men©. Those commercials on sports radio are usually offering synthetic options such as androgen gels or testosterone shots. At AIM, all our options are natural and do not include the same side effects as synthetic testosterone.
Book a consultation, and tell age to take a seat. You’ve got a lot more life to live!