Getting to the root of men's hormonal issues

Hormonal imbalance affects men leading to issues like male PMS, but lack of awareness and social conditioning stops them from seeking help

- Tanisha Saxena

For decades, conversations around hormonal health have almost exclusively been centered on women. From PMS to menopause, fluctuating hormones have been recognized as key drivers of mood, metabolism, and emotional well-being—for women. Meanwhile, men's fatigue, irritability, or sudden dips in libido are often dismissed as consequences of aging, stress, or just "a rough patch." But growing medical evidence suggests a more complex picture. Hormones such as testosterone, cortisol, thyroid hormones—and even estrogen—play critical roles in men's physical and mental health too. When these go out of sync, the symptoms can look strikingly similar to common psychiatric conditions, leading to misdiagnoses, inappropriate treatments, and prolonged suffering.

"In men, hormones regulate everything from metabolism and fertility to sleep, mood, and even heart health," says Dr Sandeep Kharb, senior consultant of endocrinology at Asian Hospital, Faridabad. "Yet routine screening for hormonal imbalances in men remains rare. And as a result, we're often treating symptoms without understanding the root cause."