Monday, September 20, 2010

Hot Flashes in Men


A regular question among older men, though one they would rather not ask out of embarrassment, is if male menopause and hot flashes in men occur or not. Men do not specifically go through period where some of the reproductive organs stop their capabilities yet men do go through changes in their hormones and even hot flashes. Yes, hot flashes in men and even mood swings are a possibility. Men tend to experience a decrease in testosterone much more gradually than women lose hormones during menopause though a name has been made up for male menopause: Andropause.

Men might get andropause naturally or after androgen suppression therapy to deal with prostate cancer. A change in testosterone amounts can cause your brain's hypothalamus region to misunderstand the needs of the body. It tricks that part of the brain into imagining you are not warm enough so it tells your blood vessels to dilate, making you blush and get sweaty. Also, guys who are missing a testicle due to prostate cancer have a 75% likelihood of suffering from hot flashes due to lower testosterone amounts.

Numerous men going though andropause have severe night sweats that soaks the blankets which causes most men to lose hours of precious sleep. While experiencing a hot flash men blush and start to perspire, making it clear to others that he is overheating. The normal hot flash occurs for about four minutes, followed by a sudden cold feeling that is very uncomfortable when you are soaked from sweat.

Many hot flashes happen at night so taking steps before you get into bed is very significant. Cool down in your bedroom right before you lay down and keep it cool during the night by opening a window or running the air conditioning. You can buy large thin magnets that can be placed over vents in other rooms of the house so that cold air from the air conditioning is focused in your bedroom.

Also talk to a healthcare professional; they may be able to evaluate any drugs you are on to decide if they are increasing your symptoms. A rather ordinary treatment for hot flashes in men is to use the same hormone replacement therapy that women take for menopause side effects. Over 83% of men report relief with hormone replacement therapy though side effects could include bloating and weight gain.

Decreasing hormone levels or prostate gland treatments can cause hot flashes in men. You will discover several easy changes to your lifestyle which you can try to reduce these hot flashes and even treatment options from your physician that will help out if non-medicated strategies didn't provide sufficient relief.

You can read even more research about hot flashes in men and how to block them.

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