Practical Self-Assessment of Sub-health and Analysis of the Reproductive System Structure: Building a Physiological Defense Barrier for Middle-Aged Men
6. How can middle-aged men conduct self-tests for sub-health? Self-test methods for sub-health in middle-aged men: (1) Continuous hair loss upon waking up in the morning. (2) Feeling somewhat depressed, staring blankly out the window, actually not thinking about anything. (3) Forgetting something you thought about yesterday, and this has been happening frequently lately. (4) Unwilling to go to the office, finding work tedious. (5) Not wanting to face colleagues and superiors, wishing the office were empty except for oneself, showing a tendency towards autism. (6) Work piling up, but work efficiency declining, superiors have expressed dissatisfaction, and you have noticed this yourself. (7) Feeling physically exhausted, experiencing chest tightness and shortness of breath after working for a period of time. (8) Unable to maintain a high work mood. Not understanding why you have a lot of inexplicable anger, and seemingly lacking the energy to even argue or have a fit. (9) Eating very little at three meals a day, excluding weather factors, even if the food is very much to your liking, you often feel no appetite. (10) Longing to escape the office early so I can go home and rest in bed for a while. (11) Very sensitive to pollution and noise, and craves tranquility more than most people. (12) No longer as enthusiastic about gatherings with friends as before, feeling like I'm forcing myself to be energetic and just going through the motions. (13) Often unable to sleep at night, even when very tired. Even when I do fall asleep, I'm always dreaming, and when I wake up, the dreams are not very clear, resulting in terrible sleep quality. (14) My weight is showing a significant downward trend, and when I wake up in the morning, I suddenly find that my eyes are sunken, my eyelids are bluish, and my chin is protruding. (15) My immunity is declining, and I am prone to catching colds when the flu season comes in spring and autumn. (16) My libido is declining; when my partner expresses sexual desire, I often feel exhausted and have no desire, and even if I do have desire, I feel powerless.
7. What organs make up the male reproductive system? The male reproductive organs can be divided into two categories: gonads and accessory organs. Gonads have a dual function: producing sperm and secreting sex hormones. Sex hormones contribute to the development and growth of accessory organs. The function of accessory organs is to participate in sexual intercourse and the formation and reproduction of new life. The male external genitalia include the penis and scrotum. The penis has three main functions: sexual intercourse, urination, and ejaculation. It can be divided into three parts: the root of the penis, the shaft of the penis, and the glans penis. The root of the penis is the fixed part, attached to the pubic bone. The cylindrical shaft of the penis and the coronally enlarged glans penis constitute the movable part of the penis. On the dorsal side of the penis are a pair of cylindrical corpora cavernosa with pointed ends, forming the main body of the penis; the other is the corpus spongiosum, located on the ventral side of the penis, through which the urethra passes, and its distal end expands to form the glans penis. The corpora cavernosa are covered by a thick, tough, dense, and closed tunica albuginea, which shrinks when the penis is relaxed, and is 2-4 mm thick. When the corpora cavernosa swells and thickens, it stretches and thins, increasing its tension. The tunica albuginea is the material basis for penile erection and hardening; the veins running through it are clamped after erection, thus restricting venous return. The corpus spongiosum has its own separate tunica albuginea, which, although thin, is more elastic, resulting in less rigidity after erection. The fibrous sheath on the surface of the glans penis is thin and rich in fibers, possessing strong expansion capacity. The scrotum contains the testes, epididymis, spermatic cord, and vas deferens. The male internal reproductive organs include the testes, vas deferens, and accessory glands. The testes are the male gonads, responsible for both sperm production and androgen secretion. The vas deferens includes the epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct, and urethra. The epididymis stores sperm and facilitates their final maturation. The vas deferens, a continuation of the epididymal duct, transports and stores sperm. During ejaculation, sperm pass through these ducts, then through the urethra, and are finally expelled from the body. Accessory glands include the seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral glands, and paraurethral glands.
8. What are the physiological functions of the epididymis? The epididymis not only serves to expel a small amount of fluid containing sperm, but also acts as a storage site for sperm and promotes their maturation. Its main physiological functions are as follows: (1) Absorption function: The Sertoli cells of the testes produce a large amount of testicular fluid every day, and 99% of it is reabsorbed back into the body by the epididymal epithelium. (2) Secretion of nutrients to promote sperm maturation: The epididymis secretes glycerophosphate choline, carnitine, glycoproteins and various enzymes, which are closely related to sperm metabolism, maturation and normal physiological functions. (3) Sperm storage: Sperm enter the epididymis and remain there for 19 to 25 days until they reach the tail of the epididymis. If they are not expelled in time, they are stored in the tail. (4) Secretory function: The epididymal epithelium secretes a small amount of sex hormones. (5) Immune barrier function: Due to its barrier function, it can prevent sperm from entering its epithelium to avoid autoimmune reactions. (6) Contraction function: The efferent ductules of the testes and the epididymal duct have the function of spontaneous rhythmic contraction, which can transport sperm to the vas deferens. (7) Degradation and absorption of unejaculated sperm: There are phagocytes in the epididymis that can gradually disintegrate and absorb unejaculated sperm.
9. What are the common causes of epididymitis? Epididymitis in middle-aged men often occurs after physical labor (such as lifting heavy objects) or after intense sexual arousal. Epididymitis can also occur as a complication after prostatectomy. There are three common causes of epididymitis: (1) Secondary to prostatitis or urinary tract infection. (2) During prostatectomy, bacteria may be present in the urine after surgery. During urination, urine refluxes into the ejaculatory duct, causing retrograde infection and leading to epididymitis. Infection can also invade the epididymis through the surrounding lymphatic vessels. (3) Sterile urine refluxes into the ejaculatory duct, leading to chemical epididymitis.
10. What causes hematospermia (blood in semen)? When semen changes from its normal milky white color to blood red, reddish-brown, or streaked with blood, it indicates the presence of blood. Where does this blood come from? In middle-aged men, hematospermia is usually caused by a pathological change in some part of the sperm's pathway, such as bleeding, inflammation, or even a tumor. Since semen primarily originates from the seminal vesicles, and secondarily from the prostate gland, and the seminal vesicles, prostate, and posterior urethra are interconnected, inflammation can easily spread. Furthermore, the walls of the seminal vesicles are thin, and when congested, the walls covered with blood streaks are prone to bleeding. Therefore, the most common cause of hematospermia is seminal vesiculitis, followed by prostatitis and posterior urethritis, or posterior urethral congestion. It can also be caused by the spread of inflammation from other organs, leading to inflammation, swelling, congestion, and bleeding of the seminal vesicle walls. If it occurs only occasionally without any specific changes, it may be due to the rupture of small blood vessels caused by sudden congestion and mechanical impact during intercourse.
11. Why do middle-aged men experience premature ejaculation? Premature ejaculation refers to a pathological condition in which ejaculation occurs prematurely without reaching orgasm, even after the penis has been inserted into the vagina for several seconds, despite being prepared for sexual intercourse (including psychological preparation). It is often accompanied by impotence. The causes of premature ejaculation in middle-aged men can be roughly summarized as follows: (1) Excessive ministerial fire: This is often caused by unfulfilled desires or frequent masturbation, which prevents the yin essence from restraining the ministerial fire. In addition, excessive desires can arouse the heart fire, leading to the interaction of the two fires, excessive ministerial fire, and excessive sexual desire, resulting in premature ejaculation. (2) Kidney yin deficiency: Frequent masturbation during adolescence, early marriage and childbirth, excessive sexual activity, or lack of moderation in sexual activity can deplete marrow essence, leading to kidney yin deficiency, instability in storing essence, yin deficiency and yang excess, resulting in premature ejaculation. (3) Instability of kidney qi: Weak congenital endowment, kidney decline due to old age, or excessive indulgence in sexual activity can lead to kidney qi deficiency and kidney yang decline, resulting in the kidney's inability to store essence and causing premature ejaculation.