Wives should not be too pleased to see their husbands, even after reaching their forties, still being “charming” and “active” several times a week. Medicine refers to this as progressive sexual activity, which has pathological characteristics!
It is a form of temporary excitement, false excitement, arising from a state of weakness (deficiency) or imbalance (excessive or deficient yin and yang).
Progressive sexual activity is not a good sign. Traditional Chinese medicine has long recognized that the phenomenon of excessive sexual activity is generally caused by “deficient fire” in the kidney organ and “excess fire” in the liver organ.
In the human body and each organ, there exists a part of “yin” and a part of “yang”. If the yin of the kidney is weakened (kidney yin deficiency) and cannot balance with the yang (kidney yang), it leads to a pathological state referred to in traditional Chinese medicine as “deficient fire”.
This “fire” arises from the condition of some part of the body being weakened (deficient), hence the name “deficient fire”. On the other hand, “excess fire” is the “fire” caused by pathogenic factors in the liver, often due to suppressed emotions or pathological causes in the heart and kidney organs.
“Deficient fire” is often accompanied by symptoms of depletion such as weight loss, emaciation, hair loss, rough skin, sudden feelings of heat, a red tongue, and weak pulse… “Excess fire” usually presents with symptoms like flushed face, bitter mouth, yellow tongue coating, and a tight pulse (string-like pulse)…
Both “deficient fire” and “excess fire” can lead to progressive sexual activity, with manifestations such as easy erection, persistent erection (rigid penis), seminal emissions, nocturnal emissions,…
In general, the phenomenon of progressive sexual activity – higher than normal levels – is not natural and represents pathological signs. It is a form of temporary excitement, false excitement, arising from states of deficiency (weakness) or imbalance (excess or deficiency of yin and yang). For instance, in men who are in their prime, engaging in sexual activity 2-3 times a week is normal.
After the age of 40, “yin essence diminishes by half” (the yin component – physical strength decreases by half), a normal person may only feel excited and engage in sexual activity 1-2 times a week; if the desire persists and sexual activity exceeds 2 times, it indicates “excitement in a deficient state” – due to “deficient fire”. This is often a sign of conditions such as “kidney yin deficiency”, “deficient yin with excess fire”, and “fire disturbing the essence” (yang fire disrupting semen ejaculation)…
Moreover, if a person is mentally exhausted due to overwork, it can lead to the silent depletion of “heart yin” (the yin component of the heart organ) – when it can no longer balance with “heart yang” – which often also leads to excessive sexual activity.
For instance, individuals who engage in excessive mental labor, experience poor sleep, and eventually develop insomnia, tend to be restless, leading to heightened sexual desires and unusual progressive sexual activity. It is essential to note that progressive sexual activity can also be a sign of mental overload.
A typical case study: Patient X., a 42-year-old male construction engineer. After six continuous months of being busy with calculations and designs, irregular eating, and persistent lack of sleep; he gradually began to feel anxious, restless, and his sexual desire surged, leading him to “release” – engaging in excessive sexual activity.
Subsequently, due to frequent headaches, dizziness, insomnia, back pain, and mental distress, he sought help from Professor Duong.
After inquiring about his condition and checking his pulse, it was determined that Mr. X. suffered from “active deficient fire”. The professor prescribed a treatment aimed at “nourishing yin”, “calming the mind”, and “subduing fire” (including ingredients: 15g rehmannia root, 10g polygala root, 10g calamus, 10g fructus alpiniae, 15g ashwagandha, 15g fresh rehmannia, 10g dangshen, 6g amomum fruit, and 10g phellodendron). The patient was to brew and consume one dose daily.
After completing 12 doses of the medicine, he began to sleep well, his sexual desire no longer surged as before, sexual activity returned to normal, work productivity improved, and his spirit returned to being cheerful and joyful as before his illness.
It is also necessary to address cases of sudden progressive sexual activity in the elderly, where the cause cannot be identified. The famous traditional medicine book “Thien Kim Phuong” by renowned physician Sun Simiao recorded a case as follows: An elderly man over 70 suddenly experienced a surge in sexual desire that he could not control. He then forced a senior maid into bed with him in broad daylight; she reluctantly complied. However, four weeks later, that elderly man fell ill and passed away.
According to modern medicine, progressive sexual activity is often an early signal of certain endocrine system diseases. For example, conditions such as acromegaly (enlargement of the fingers and toes – due to pituitary gland hyperplasia), Kussmaul syndrome (due to adrenal cortex dysfunction), and hyperthyroidism.
Additionally, progressive sexual activity is also a significant diagnostic sign for cancers, especially cancers of the reproductive organs. For instance, ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, breast cancer, and uterine cancer in women – whether benign or malignant, the phenomenon of progressive sexual activity can appear very early.
In men, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, due to elevated levels of male sex hormones, can also lead to progressive sexual activity. Furthermore, in lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, unusual secretion of ACTH, causing elevated hormone levels, can also result in progressive sexual activity.
