Characteristics of sexual dysfunction in elderly men and the understanding of low libido in traditional Chinese and Western medicine
37.
Characteristics of sexual dysfunction in elderly men
The views on sexual activity among the elderly can be simply summarized into two categories: some people continue to seek love and have sex with the changing seasons; others have long since given up despite the changing times.
Healthy older adults are fully capable of continuing to have sex, but whether they can do so depends on whether they have a sexual partner, how active they were sexually in their early years, and whether they are affected by illness.
Psychological factors, biomedical variations, and sociocultural backgrounds are all interconnected and have a significant impact on the sexual function of older adults.
(1) Physiological changes in elderly men: Elderly men will undergo many physiological changes during the aging process. As long as they are given appropriate re-education to eliminate their concerns, and if necessary, some medical measures can be taken to reduce their sexual pleasure or sexual satisfaction in sexual practice.
Alleviating older men's concerns about changes in erection and ejaculation is very beneficial to their physical and mental health. It is essential to help older couples understand that a decline in erectile function is normal and that different sexual techniques are needed to compensate for it in order to achieve mutual orgasm.
(2) Social and psychological factors: Many social and psychological factors may affect the sexual activity of older men, such as past sexual experiences, attitudes toward changes in sexual behavior, reactions to physiological changes, reactions to iatrogenic changes caused by diseases, performance anxiety, and reactions to attitudes toward the surrounding environment.
They often see the inability to achieve a full erection as a sign of erectile dysfunction, and when this normal change is combined with the underlying medical condition, sexual difficulties become more pronounced.
It should also be mentioned that people still closely associate sex with reproduction, and many elderly people regard sexual activity as inappropriate.
Another important factor contributing to reduced sexual expression among older adults is gender differences.
According to statistics in the United States, two-thirds of the elderly are women.
(3) Sexual dysfunction: Organic causes prevent their sex life from reaching the level of activity that they are capable of under their physiological conditions.
Such as the effects of physical ailments, medications, and other diseases.
38.
Western medicine's understanding of the causes and mechanisms of low libido
Sexual function is regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems and involves multiple systems, including the nervous, endocrine, reproductive, musculoskeletal, respiratory, and circulatory systems.
Therefore, it is not only regulated by the above-mentioned factors, but also influenced by psychology and other factors.
(1) Age factor: When men are over 50 years old, their libido will gradually decline due to the decrease in testosterone secretion.
(2) Psychological factors: Some people have incorrect views on sex, such as believing that it is immoral, lewd and unclean; some are afraid of intercourse; some are restricted by certain religious beliefs.
(3) Disease factors: physical weakness, excessive fatigue, chronic diseases, and endocrine dysfunction may all cause low libido.
(4) Energy factors: Excessive mental work and fatigue can cause a certain excitatory focus in the nervous system to become overexcited, which can inhibit other centers such as the sexual center, thus resulting in low libido.
(5) Endocrine factors: When testicular function declines and the production of too few male hormones, low libido will occur.
39.
Traditional Chinese Medicine's understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of low libido
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that low libido has the following causes and mechanisms:
(1) Deficiency of the Fire of the Gate of Life: Early marriage and excessive sexual activity, or a constitution with yang deficiency, or a long-term illness, or masturbation in youth, leading to deficiency of kidney essence, deficiency of the fire of the gate of life, lack of vitality and no desire for sexual activity.
(2) Kidney Yin Deficiency: This disease is caused by excessive sexual activity, prolonged illness, overwork, or inherent yin deficiency.
(3) Liver Qi stagnation: Mental depression, physical blood deficiency or prolonged illness damaging Yin and consuming blood, causing liver collaterals to be malnourished, Qi stagnation and thus this disease.
(4) Deficiency of both heart and spleen: Insufficient endowment, or prolonged illness and lack of nourishment, or excessive thinking that damages the spleen, the spleen and stomach become weak, the production and transformation are weak, the qi, blood and body fluids gradually become deficient, and they cannot nourish the yang qi in the kidney, thus causing this disease.
(5) Phlegm and dampness obstruction: People with excessive body fat, who prefer to stay still and move little, or who eat rich and greasy food, generate phlegm and dampness internally, which suppresses yang qi and causes this disease.
40.
Common causes of hypersexuality in humans
The main reasons are endocrine disorders or mental and psychological disorders.
Increased sexual arousal can occur due to factors such as enhanced sexual center excitation, but most of these are physiological changes, or insufficient knowledge about sex and endocrine disorders. In addition, mania, psychosis, or certain chronic diseases and psychological factors, such as repeatedly reading pornographic novels or watching pornographic movies, being in love, or excessive sexual stimulation, can also lead to hypersexuality.
41.
Some diseases that may be accompanied by hypersexuality
The main causes of hypersexuality are endocrine disorders or mental and psychological disorders.
Human sexual behavior and function are managed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis system, which is also influenced by the cerebral cortex. If there is a lesion in the brain or hypothalamus, or if the brain is sensitive to sex hormones, excessive secretion of gonadotropins or androgens from the anterior pituitary gland can lead to hypersexuality.
For example, certain intracranial tumors (pituitary growth hormone-secreting tumors) can reflexively cause the glands to secrete excessive growth hormone, leading to hypersexuality in adults.
Approximately 10% to 20% of patients with hyperthyroidism also experience hypersexuality in the early stages.
Due to their mental disorders, patients with mental illness have a decreased ability to inhibit sexual arousal, and about 65% of them will show a tendency towards hypersexuality.
In addition, a small number of people exhibit hypersexuality due to social and psychological factors, such as repeated and frequent exposure to large amounts of sexual stimulation and excessive indulgence.
42.
Traditional Chinese Medicine's Understanding of the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Hypersexuality
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that hypersexuality mainly has the following causes and mechanisms:
(1) Excessive sexual desire: Young people are ignorant and frequently masturbate, causing excessive sexual desire; or young people marry early; or they are infatuated with the opposite sex but their desires are not fulfilled; or married people live apart for a long time and yearn for sex, resulting in depletion of yin essence and excessive sexual desire.
(2) Excessive tonification: Excessive and prolonged use of kidney-warming and yang-strengthening products, or prolonged use of cinnabar and hot medicines for sexual intercourse in the hope of getting temporary pleasure, will lead to the retention of semen, accumulation of heat toxins, damage to kidney yin, and excessive fire.
When two sources of heat work together, the heat becomes difficult to control. The fire is excessive while the water is depleted, leaving the pathogenic fire unchecked and leading to hypersexuality.
(3) Emotions damage the liver, the liver becomes disordered, qi stagnation transforms into fire, heat disturbs the lower jiao, resulting in hypersexuality.