Treatment For Polycythemia

Andropause: Male menopause

Andropause is the most accurate term used to describe the hormonal changes men face as they age.

However, male menopause tends to be a more common term, but is less accurate when comparing the symptoms each gender faces in their later years.

For women, menopause occurs when the body permanently ends fertility and menstruation processes and often involves hormonal changes, causing physical symptoms.

This can involve irregular periods, decreases in fertility, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, thinning hair, a loss in breast fullness, abdominal fat and vaginal dryness. These symptoms generally occur prior to the one-year mark from a woman's last period.

On average, women become menopausal by age 51, according to the Mayo Clinic.

For men, andropause is a deficiency in testosterone and other androgens in an aging male.

Dr. David Moreno, M.D., a primary care physician with New Age Medical Center advised men need to monitor their prostate and estrogen levels starting around age 40.

"The national average for men having significant testosterone loss is estimated by age 50," sais Moreno, "However, I have patients who have started experiencing symptoms as early as 40."

An unusually low level of testosterone is called hypogonadism.

The 'normal' range of testosterone in a man 20 years and older ranges from 250 to 1,000 ng/dL, advised Moreno.

"Men are not all the same with a set 'normal' testosterone level," said Moreno.

Overall, each man has a unique level of testosterone, as when hormone therapy is started and, depending on the level administered, when improvement is seen, he added.

"Therefore, even though a man can be 'normal,' testosterone therapy may be necessary, as it depends on the patient's symptoms and medical evaluation," Moreno said.

Testosterone, primarily produced in the testes, helps men maintain bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, red blood cell production, sex drive and sperm production.

Androgens are hormones responsible for the development of male sex organs and characteristics, similar to women and estrogen.

Testosterone and androsterone are androgenic hormones which also stimulate growth of muscle and bones. This can account for a man's greater strength and size compared to a woman.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a controversial topic, as life-threatening conditions can increase in development, advised Moreno.

Polycythemia In Dogs | MyPetsDoctor.com

Polycythemia is a term referring to excessive numbers of red blood cells (RBCs, erythrocytes) in the body. There are two forms, polycythemia vera (PV) and relative polycythemia . Polycythemia vera is also known as absolute polycythemia or absolute erythrocytosis .

In all types of polycythemia, blood becomes sluggish because there are so many RBCs in circulation that blood flow is reduced. In the dog, the percentage of a given volume of blood that should be red blood cells is 36-60%. In the cat, 29-48% should be RBCs. This test is called hematocrit

In polycythemia, the hematocrit can reach 85%. In the absence of sufficient liquid ( serum ) in circulation, the body can no longer move red blood cells to all areas of the body. The result is poor perfusion of oxygen to tissues served by small blood vessels. All organ systems suffer, but symptoms come primarily from improper service to the brain and kidneys. Often, seizures are the first thing a pet owner notices, although astute owners may observe lethargy first.