If you find your man more irritable, stressed out, and grumpy than usual, it could probably mean it’s his “time of the month”.
Believe it or not, a new research has revealed that some men get their monthly “man period”.
Formally known as “Irritable Male Syndrome”, the man period involves symptoms similar to the side effects of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) women experience during their menstrual cycle . This includes tiredness, increased sensitivity and cramps.
A survey carried out by vouchercloud.com showed that a quarter of British men believe they have man periods. In the poll which looked into 2,412 respondents, half of which are male and half of which are female participants, men were asked if they suffered symptoms similar to women’s PMS.
While 26% of male participants claimed that they had experienced such symptoms on a regular basis, 58% of their female partners believe them.
Meanwhile, 43% female respondents whose partners think they have man period admitted giving support to their partners during their “time of the month”.
The top symptoms experienced during man period include: irritable (56%), more tired than normal (51%), increased cravings (47%), easily upset (43%), constantly hungry (43%), b;pated (15%), more sensitive about their weight (12%) and cramps (5%).
According to Dr. Jed Diamond, author of the book The Irritable Male Syndrome, men have a number of hormonal cycles affecting their level of irritability, energy, sex drive, and anger.
What is Male Menopause?
Andropause or the so-called “male menopause” is used to describe declining testosterone levels or ageing related hormone changes in men.
While testosterone levels vary greatly among men, older men usually have lower testosterone levels compared to younger males. According to Mayo Clinic, levels gradually decrease throughout adulthood, approximately 1% a year after age 30 on average.
Low testosterone level may cause changes in sexual function such as erectile dysfunction and reduced sexual desire, change in sleep patterns, physical changes such as increased body fat and emotional changes.