Impotence refers to the inability to have an erection or maintain an erection until ejaculation, which is often seen in sexual neurastenia and some chronic diseases.
Impotence can be classified as primary or secondary. A man with primary impotence has never had successful intercourse with a partner but may achieve normal erections in other situations. This rare condition is difficult to treat.
Treatment of secondary impotence is more successful than that of primary impotence because, despite current impotence problems, there is some history of success with completing intercourse in the past.
In TCM, impotence is usually caused by the decline of fire from the gate of life and exhaustion of essence and blood as a result of early marriage, indulgence in sexual activity or frequent masturbation, damage to the kidney by fright, damage to the heart and spleen and further the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming and Chong Meridian by worries. There are also some cases caused by the downward flow of dampness-heat.
The syndrome differentiation is failure to have an erection or inability to maintain a satisfactory erection, premature ejaculation. The accompanying symptoms are dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, insomnia, pale complexion, lassitude, soreness and weakness in the loin and knees, thready and weak pulse.
Treatment of the disease is to invigorate kidney qi and benefit the heart and spleen.
