Post Date December, 03 2023
Recently, a patient felt that the hardness of their erection was not as good as before three months ago, and they could only insert it reluctantly during sexual intercourse, sometimes even unable to do so. This was accompanied by soreness in the waist and weakness in the legs. Based on their daily experiences and those taught by friends, they concluded that "I have kidney deficiency, and I need to make up for it properly".
So I went to the pharmacy to buy some "kidney tonifying and yang strengthening" health products. After taking them, I gradually felt that my energy and libido improved, and my erection also improved. However, the good times did not last long, and I now have dry mouth and tongue, insomnia and boredom. My energy and desire also began to decrease, and I began to feel inadequate during sexual intercourse.
1. Decreased erectile function does not equate to kidney deficiency
Why is it that in many people's minds, "decreased erectile function" and "kidney deficiency" are equated, and "tonifying the kidney and strengthening yang" has become the only way to "improve erections"?
This may be related to historical evolution. In ancient China, people lacked material resources, had low living standards, and were in a state of overwork, malnutrition, and poor living environment for a long time. They were naturally weak, but were later not replenished enough. Inevitably, many people would experience symptoms of "kidney deficiency" such as fatigue, low back pain, and fear of cold.
2. Different tonifying methods for kidney yin deficiency and kidney yang deficiency
At a very early age, there was a comprehensive understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment methods of erectile dysfunction. The penis is closely related to multiple organs, such as the kidney, liver and gallbladder, spleen and stomach, and heart, and is not solely responsible for the "kidney".
However, in the consciousness of many people, kidney deficiency refers to kidney yang deficiency. If we blindly nourish the kidney according to this understanding, we may make the mistake of "going the other way" and "holding onto the fire". As mentioned earlier, patients who blindly take kidney tonifying and yang enhancing drugs in cases of insufficient kidney essence or deficiency of kidney yin will naturally burn kidney yin and damage kidney essence, and the condition will undoubtedly worsen instead.
In short, in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in traditional Chinese medicine, it is necessary to distinguish between deficiency and excess, and distinguish between cold and heat. Everyone should not think of tonifying the kidney and strengthening yang when encountering poor erection. Medication without identifying the cause is not only ineffective in treating the disease, but also harmful to the body.
