Now Explain....

 

Morning

Digging into my commenting issue. Apparently, Blogger now has a built-in Bot Defender. It's blocking me from making more than X comments in a 24-hour period. Considering I could leave 6 (or so) before getting the "Failed to publish. Try again later." even on my own blog, I think that could be the case. Who knew?

Last week Rabe left the comment "Now explain Moobs...." on the post about third nipples.

Moobs, or Man Boobs, happen for three major reasons, really. 1. We age and lose muscle tone. That includes the pectoral muscles. They sag. 2. Weight can add to the first - or can be the exact cause. 3. Hormone imbalance of Estrogen, which is found in all manner of things, including OTC supplements.

1 & 2 fall into the category of pseudogynecomastia. 

3 falls under actual gynecomastia.

Many, many processed foods contain soy. The products we use (soaps, lotions, shampoos and conditioners) .... many contain lavender. Lavender and soy have natural estrogen. Get too much of it and, well...moobs. It's being noticed by the medical community and thought to be a contributing factor to earlier puberty in females and delayed puberty in males. And perhaps a contributing cause for the increase in men developing breast cancer.

A friend recently underwent a mammogram because of a lump in his pectorals. Turns out his mammary tissue was increasing, preparing for lactation. He was overdosing (taking 10X the recommended amount) on OTC supplements for hair loss.

There are remedies. Lots of men are undergoing surgery when the cause is actual gynecomastia. For the type caused by weight, etc, the remedy is to lose weight, and body contouring or "fat freezing" (being offered by SonoBello).

Outward Signs

Andropause. Male Menopause. Yes, we go through menopause. And it can be as difficult physically and mentally for men as it can be for women. I can attest to that.

Part of the reason mine set in with such ferocity is that my balls never developed properly due to a serious case of mumps. So, when my testosterone levels began dropping off it was noticeable at an earlier age than most men experience.

Spontaneous boners didn't appear as often. When I did get a woody it wouldn't get as hard. I would get tired in the afternoon. My energy levels just tanked - normal activities would wear me out faster. Physical exertion caused me to tire quickly. A roller-coaster of depression set in. I didn't sleep well; tossing and turning, waking often. Morning wood? Not a chance. And that alone was reason to be depressed. 

Sex held no interest and became a chore.

Even jacking off wasn't much of a treat.

Though the Muscular Dystrophy proved to add to many of my symptoms, others pointed toward Andropause. Outward signs can be loss of body hair, breasts get larger, loss of muscle mass and weakness (a sure sign: the butt sags). Oh...some men may actually experience hot flashes. Yes, I said hot flashes. That one is also from personal experience.

Testosterone replacement is only one treatment for Andropause. There are other treatments available. If you recognize any of the symptoms in yourself, go see your doctor for a complete check-up.

According to Healthline's recent article, Warning Signs of Male Menopause, "Lifestyle changes may also help. According to Godec, 'a healthy lifestyle is the best guarantor that your testosterone will remain at a healthy level as you age.' Make sure to exercise, eat a healthy diet, and maintain a healthy weight."

To which I would add: Maintaining friendships and relationships can help keep you grounded and on track.