Article 75: Traditional Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Classification of Male Infertility (Part 1)

◇A Guide to Caring for Your Husband's Health as a Good Wife◇

Next chapter: CHANG JIAN BING DE ZHI LIAO YU TIAO YANG

Treatment and recuperation of common diseases

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine differentiate syndromes and treat diseases?

1. Yang deficiency type: Symptoms include infertility after marriage, low libido, impotence or weak erection, clear and cold semen, low sperm count and low motility, often accompanied by soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, fatigue, coldness in the lower back and body, clear and copious urine, pale tongue, thin white coating, and weak and feeble pulse.

Treatment principle: Tonify the kidneys and strengthen yang, replenish essence and generate marrow.

Prescription: Epimedium 15g, Curculigo orchioides 15g, Dipsacus asper 10g, Polygonum multiflorum 10g, Lycium barbarum 10g, Morus alba 10g, Schisandra chinensis 10g, Rubus idaeus 10g, Plantago asiatica (wrapped) 10g, Astragalus membranaceus 15g, Angelica sinensis 10g, Cinnamomum cassia 9g.

2. Kidney Yin Deficiency Type: Symptoms include infertility after marriage, seminal emission and premature ejaculation, low sperm count and high number of dead sperm, accompanied by soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, hot palms and soles, dry mouth, insomnia and forgetfulness, red tongue with little or no coating, and thready and rapid or deep and thready pulse.

Treatment principle: Nourish Yin, tonify the kidneys, and generate marrow.

Prescription: 10g Phellodendron bark, 10g Anemarrhena rhizome, 10g Rehmannia root, 10g Cornus fruit, 10g Poria cocos, 10g Alisma rhizome, 9g Moutan bark, 15g Salvia miltiorrhiza root, 15g Forsythia fruit, 5g Glycyrrhiza root.

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency Type: Symptoms include infertility after marriage, decreased libido, thin semen, low sperm count and low viability, sallow complexion, physical weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and reluctance to speak, dizziness, pale tongue, thin white coating, and deep, thready and weak pulse.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and nourish blood, nourish Yin and subdue Yang.

Prescription: Angelica sinensis 10g, Ligusticum chuanxiong 10g, Rehmannia glutinosa 10g, Paeonia lactiflora 10g, Codonopsis pilosula 10g, Atractylodes macrocephala 10g, Poria cocos 10g, Glycyrrhiza uralensis 10g, Cuscuta chinensis 15g, Dioscorea opposita 15g, Lycium barbarum 10g, Juglans regia 10g, Zanthoxylum bungeanum 7g, Polygonum multiflorum 10g.

4. Liver Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Type: Symptoms include infertility after marriage, chest tightness and discomfort, chest and rib pain, testicular swelling and pain, irritability, varicocele, nodules in the testicles or epididymis, impotence or anejaculation, excessive dead sperm, dark tongue, and deep and wiry pulse.

Treatment principle: Soothe the liver and regulate qi, promote blood circulation and unblock the meridians.

Prescription: Bupleurum 10g, Angelica sinensis 10g, Paeonia lactiflora 9g, Atractylodes macrocephala 10g, Mentha haplocalyx 7g, Zingiber officinale 8g, Glycyrrhiza uralensis 8g, Poria cocos 9g, Paeonia suffruticosa 9g, Gardenia jasminoides 9g, Prunus persica 10g, Vaccaria segetalis 15g.

5. Liver Meridian Damp-Heat Type: Symptoms include infertility after marriage, chest and rib distension, testicular swelling and burning, painful ejaculation or hematospermia, excessive dead sperm, flushed face and red eyes, scanty dark urine, constipation, scrotal dampness and itching, bitter taste in the mouth and dry throat, red tongue, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and wiry and rapid pulse.

Treatment principle: Soothe the liver and gallbladder, clear damp heat.

Prescription: Gentian root 15g, Bupleurum root 10g, Gardenia fruit 10g, Scutellaria root 10g, Akebia stem 10g, Plantago seed (wrapped) 15g, Alisma rhizome 10g, Angelica root 10g, Rehmannia root 10g, Achyranthes root 10g, Phellodendron bark 10g, Coix seed 30g, Licorice root 10g.

6. Phlegm-dampness retention type: Symptoms include infertility after marriage, obesity, fatigue, thin semen, low sperm count, low libido or no ejaculation, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, palpitations, pale tongue with white and greasy coating, and deep and thready pulse.

Treatment principle: Dry dampness and resolve phlegm.

Prescription: Atractylodes lancea 10g, Cyperus rotundus 10g, Citrus aurantium 9g, Pinellia ternata 9g, Citrus reticulata 10g, Arisaema cum bile 10g, fresh ginger 5g, Fritillaria cirrhosa 10g, Poria cocos 10g, Glycyrrhiza uralensis 9g.

Why is a 3-month treatment course used for male infertility?

The treatment course for male infertility is 3 months, which is based on the fact that it takes about 90 days for sperm to be produced and ejaculated.

Human spermatogenesis can be divided into six phases, each with a specific time and cell combination. These six phases constitute one cycle, and human spermatogenesis takes about four and a half cycles. Since each cycle lasts 16 days, the entire process of human spermatogenesis takes approximately 70 days. After spermatogenesis, sperm cells need to fully mature in the microenvironment of the epididymis. Human sperm cells take 19 to 23 days to mature in the epididymis.

Therefore, from sperm production to maturity and expulsion from the body, it takes approximately 90 days, or about 3 months. Thus, patients undergoing drug treatment should not be impatient or assume the medication is ineffective; the effects will only appear after consistent use for 3 months.