Men are believed to be the 'tough' ones and so expressing their pent up feelings is assumed to be a sign of personality weakness. However, the fact is, the emotional range of men is quite similar to that of women. Just like women, men have changes in the hormone cycles and they can experience low levels of the sex hormone testosterone. What Indicates Mood Swings in Men? It is to be understood that the men of all ages experience hormonal changes, however, in the younger age group (mid twenties to mid thirties) mood swings because of hormonal imbalance is rare. Phases of short term depression or mental problems can trigger mood swings in younger ages. Generally, mood swings due to hormonal imbalance is common in the age group of 40 to 60 years. Mood swings in older men is basically a primary symptom of andropause, that is the result of low levels of testosterone in the body. Since testosterone is an essential male hormone, low levels of it can trigger behavioral changes in the personality of the individual going through andropause. The symptoms are as follows. ☞ Unexplained irritability and anger ☞ Worry and tension ☞ Frustration ☞ Demanding nature ☞ Sadness ☞ Impatience ☞ Showing symptoms of anxiety ☞ Aggressiveness ☞ Unloving and withdrawn behavior ☞ Depression Causal Factors Irritable male syndrome are generally a result of high levels of cortisol and low levels of testosterone. Many men are not able to understand the changes in their personality due to the changes in the hormonal levels and get depressed. Basically, cortisol is a stress hormone and normal cortisol levels ensure that we are able to handle stress without letting stress affect our health. Medical experts explain that men are relatively poor in handling stress in daily life than women and so high levels of cortisol hormone secretion in men causes harm to muscles and bones and increases fat content in the body. Excess cortisol also affects the functioning of testosterone in the body and this eventually results in increased body fat and difficulty in handling stress. Although mood swings and depression are interrelated, long terms of depression are confused to be the causes of mood swings. Long term depression can trigger severe mood swings however, the fact is, that depression can be caused due to many other factors, that can include physical trauma, death of a near one, failure etc. Mood swings, on the other hand, are the manifestation of the hormonal and chemical changes happening inside the body. Treatment Options Treating mood swings is not very difficult if the root cause of the underlying problem is diagnosed properly. Generally, the first step is to go for a hormonal test and this is especially true for older men above 40 years of age. As stated earlier, hormonal imbalance in younger ages is rare, however younger men experiencing mood swings can be counseled by a psychiatrist and the problem can be identified. It can be depression or any other mental trauma that could cause mood swing in the younger age group. Again, I would like to stress the fact that mood swings and depression are interrelated and correct diagnosis is essential to treat the disorder. Extreme mood swings with hormonal imbalance, can be treated by administering synthetic hormones or by hormone replacement therapy for men. In many cases, testosterone therapy is also advised to many men. Besides these, learning the art of stress management and following a healthy lifestyle can go a long way in treating the mood swings. Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.