Improve Male Sexual Function, Treat Erectile Dysfunction And Premature Ejaculation The TCM Way

Link copied! Erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) are the 2 most common forms of sexual dysfunction affecting men [1]. According to a survey of almost 5,000 men in Asia-Pacific, PE is known to affect 13%-16% of all men while ED affects 5%-8% [2]. Poor sexual function and low libido can have deleterious effects on a man’s quality of life and his relationship with his spouse. Yet, male sexual health is something that most Asian men loath discussing even though the attitudes of our society are increasingly westernized. Although erectile dysfunction is often laughed at for indicating male impotence, studies have shown that it is a tell-tale sign of other underlying health conditions that might warrant our attention [3]. Erectile dysfunction management methods like Viagra or Ciali are well known. However, most people remain uninformed about the treatment of premature ejaculation. Today, we dive into the root causes of sexual dysfunction and open your treatment options for better male sexual function. You do not need to live with sexual dysfunction. With proper treatment, lifestyle and diet changes, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help you regain sexual function and confidence. *Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get and/or keep an erection firm enough for sex.*Premature ejaculation (PE) occurs when a man ejaculates sooner during sexual intercourse than he or his partner would like. How can Oriental Remedies Group help men who are experiencing sexual dysfunction? Step 1: An honest and self-directed assessment of sexual function The simplest and most cost-effective way to assess the severity of sexual dysfunction is through a self-assessment survey. You can use the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) survey to evaluate the severity of erectile dysfunction and libido issues. For premature ejaculation, use the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) survey. Evaluating Erectile Function Here are 6 IIEF questions (Qns 1 – 5, 15) from The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) patient questionnaire. These questions are determining considerations that fall under domain A (Erectile Dysfunction) of the questionnaire. The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) The maximum score for these questions (Qns 1-5, 15) under domain A is 30. A score of 14 and below suggests low erectile function, a score between 15 to 25 suggests moderate erectile function and a score from 26 and above suggests high erectile function. As the cause of erectile dysfunction can be physical or psychological, you can try taking a nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test (erection self-test) to determine if it is psychological or not. Simply cut a 2-cm wide strip of paper that is long enough to go around the penis with a little overlap. The paper can be secured with a piece of 1-inch tape. Steps to perform an NPT: Go commando or change into loose-fitting underwear before you go to bed. Stick half-inch of the tape on one end of the paper, circle the strip of paper around the shaft of the flaccid penis and secure it with the remaining tape. The strip of paper should be snug enough so that the paper breaks apart if you have an erection. It is highly recommended to sleep on your back so the strip will not be affected by your movement. Repeat this test for 3 consecutive nights. Interpreting Results Check to see if the strip is broken when you wake up in the morning. If it is, you could have had an erection in your sleep. This indicates that your penis physically functions properly, indicating that any possible erectile issues are mostly psychological in nature. Rest assured there are treatments that can help both physical and psychological erectile dysfunction – acupuncture effectively regulates stress and anxiety to improve erection quality in men who suffer from psychogenic erectile dysfunction. Evaluating Libido These two IIEF questions (Qns 11,12) from BAUS’s patient questionnaire fall under domain C (Sexual Desire) which evaluates your sex drive/libido. The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) The maximum score for Qns 11, 12 is 10. Scoring 6 and below indicates a low libido. If the sex drive or libido is low, we recommend taking a blood test to examine your testosterone and prolactin levels – these are male hormones that affect your libido. Evaluating Premature Ejaculation We use the PEDT survey to evaluate premature ejaculation. A score of 8 or lower indicates no premature ejaculation, 9 or 10 indicates probable premature ejaculation, and 11 or higher indicates premature ejaculation. The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) Step 2: Understand the root cause from a TCM perspective Traditionally, sexual function and reproductive ability are thought to reside in the Kidneys and those suffering from Kidney deficiency syndrome would experience a loss of sexual function. Today, in this age of overnutrition, new studies have shown that the loss of sexual function due to Kidney deficiency syndrome is gradually becoming less common. Instead, the loss of sexual function is found to be more closely related to Liver Qi stagnation syndrome, Blood-stasis syndrome and Phlegm-Damp syndrome due to the stresses of modern living, our sedentary lifestyles and the indulgence of processed foods. Here’s a quick walk-through of the above-mentioned syndromes and their causes: i. Liver Qi stagnation syndrome TCM believes that the Liver is in charge of regulating emotions. Thus, an unhealthy work-life balance and being overly stressed at work causes our emotions to be in a constant state of flux. Over time this wears out the Qi in the Liver meridian causing Liver Qi stagnation syndrome. As the Liver meridian is directly linked to the penis, Qi stagnation at the Liver will lead to poor erectile functions. ii. Blood-stasis syndrome Other than increasing the burden on our digestive system, over-consumption of cold or raw food also causes the body to cool down which hampers the proper flow of Blood according to TCM theory – Blood should flow first in our stomach and subsequently to the rest of our body. Paired with a sedentary lifestyle, poor Blood flow can develop resulting in Blood-stasis syndrome. In severe instances