Detailed introduction to men’s health knowledge

Many people’s understanding of men’s health is either narrowed down to “doable or not” reproductive issues, or general recommendations of “less smoking and less drinking.” In fact, men’s health is a three-dimensional overall concept covering physical, psychological, and social adaptability. The core risks of different age groups vary greatly, and there is no “standard answer to health” that suits everyone.

Last week I just saw a 32-year-old Internet operator who was in bad sex for three months in a row. I secretly bought half a year's worth of kidney-tonifying pills and came to the hospital when I had a nosebleed. After the test, it was neither "kidney deficiency" nor a hormone problem. It was just staying up until 2 o'clock every day for three months and sitting for more than 10 hours. The pelvic floor muscles were so tense that they became hard and compressed the surrounding blood vessels and nerves. I adjusted my sitting posture and did pelvic floor muscle relaxation training for two weeks, and my condition immediately returned.

When it comes to supplements, many people's first reaction is to "tonify the kidneys." There is actually a big cognitive difference between Chinese and Western medicine: "kidney" in traditional Chinese medicine covers the functions of multiple systems such as reproductive, urinary, and immune systems. Deficiency of kidney essence may indeed correspond to problems such as poor energy and decreased sexual function, but it must also be divided into yin deficiency, yang deficiency, and qi deficiency. Improper supplementation will increase internal heat and disrupt body balance.； However, there is no concept of "kidney deficiency" in the modern Western medicine system. The logic that "kidney replenishing can strengthen yang" is not true. Most sexual function declines must first be investigated for problems at the three levels of blood vessels, hormones, and psychology. For example, whether hyperlipidemia blocks the cavernous blood vessels, whether free testosterone levels have dropped, whether there has been too much stress recently, and long-term anxiety. Rarely is it caused by a single "deficiency".

Don’t think that only young people encounter these unspeakable secrets. For men over 40, many problems are hidden deeper. There used to be a man who drove an online ride-hailing service. He always quarreled with passengers for half a year and had tantrums with his wife and children when he came home. Everyone thought he was suffering from a mid-life crisis and had a bad temper. When the results were checked, the free testosterone level had dropped to the lower limit of the normal range. He also had mild prostate hyperplasia. He had to hold in urine for a long time, causing his lower abdomen to swell every day. Naturally, his mood couldn't get better. Many people always ridicule middle-aged men for being greasy and bad-tempered. In fact, they ignore the emotional impact of hormone fluctuations and chronic pain in this age group. This is also a psychological aspect of men's health that is easily missed. After all, no one loses their temper for no reason. Many times, signs of physical discomfort are regarded as personality problems.

Now if you search on the Internet, you will find statements like "100 days of deep squats to improve sexual function" and "Eating wolfberry every day to replenish vitality". Is it really useful? I have also talked with friends from different departments. Friends from the sports department believe that squats can indeed improve the strength of the lower limbs and promote testosterone secretion. It does have a positive effect on young people who have no underlying diseases and seldom exercise. ； However, colleagues in the Department of Urology have encountered many patients who have prostatic hyperplasia or excessive pelvic floor muscle tension. They followed the Internet to practice squats indiscriminately. The posture was wrong and they squatted too low. Instead, they compressed the prostate and aggravated the symptoms of frequent urination and lower abdominal distension, which was counterproductive. To put it bluntly, there is no one-size-fits-all method. If you blindly copy homework based on other people's experience, it is easy to get into trouble.

To be honest, I have seen too many men who always tend to deal with minor problems. If they urinate blood, they think it is because they are angry, if they have painful urination, they think it is tired, if they have chest pain, they think it is because they have not rested well. Not long ago, there was a 28-year-old guy who went to get off work every day in the summer to have cold beers and barbecue with his friends. He suffered from a gout attack until his feet were so swollen that he couldn't wear shoes. The pain lasted for three days and he always thought he sprained his feet while riding a bike after get off work. Do you think this is a loss? There are still many people who think that smoking is masculine. In fact, clinical data has long proven that smoking is an independent risk factor for erectile dysfunction, which is greater than high blood lipids. People who have smoked for more than ten years have poor blood vessel elasticity and are naturally prone to problems. This is not alarmist.

In fact, after all, men’s health is really not something to be ashamed of, and there is no need to always buy things based on advertisements that “enhance virility” or “tonify kidneys”. Stay up less late at night, stand up and take a few steps after sitting for a long time, and take half a day every year for a routine physical examination. This is more effective than imported supplements costing thousands of dollars. If something really goes wrong, go to a regular hospital and don’t try to find remedies on your own. After all, your body is yours, so don’t shoulder your health.