Modern lifestyles, environmental factors and other issues are at the heart of an increasing demand for medical treatment in our city’s male population. Top of the list are prostate diseases, sexual dysfunction and male infertility.
Hence today, 14 April, sees the new clinic open in Nanjing’s Jiangbei New Area, that is a branch of the Men’s Department at Nanjing Gulou Hospital.
According to Dai Yutian, Chief Physician therein, among the main conditions with which men attend the Department in Gulou Hospital are infertility, sexual dysfunction and genital deformity. The Men’s Department sees around 90,000 such outpatients each year.
Dai went on to bluntly state that lifestyle habits are the most common reason behind the issues. “Many men like to stay up late partying, playing games and drinking. Such activity disrupts their physiological rhythm [as it relates to hormone secretion]”, said the Chief Physician.
Prolonged sitting and a lack of exercise, as well as smoking and drinking, are the principal factors which have led to low-testosterone levels among many young men, even those in their 20s, leading to depression, a decreased libido and sexual dysfunction.
It turns out that generally, the peak of a man’s testosterone secretion is in the morning, before it enters a trough after lunch. In the afternoon, it rises once more, reaching another peak in the early evening. Dipping again late at night is why men should rest at this time.
Experts suggest that male health be best addressed by changes in lifestyle, i.e. quitting the aforementioned habits, perhaps combined with antioxidant and neurological medication, which can also help improve male-reproductive functions.
As the Yangtze Evening News reports, Dr. Dai says there remains a serious lack of public awareness regarding male health.
That, for many, equals embarrassment. Many men are ashamed to go to a hospital for treatment and choose to purchase their own medication. This often continues until the condition becomes severe. Medical attention from a reputable hospital in a timely manner is the recommended course of action.
The Men’s Department of Nanjing Gulou Hospital was established in 1998 as one of the earliest such departments among the top Western medicine hospitals in China.
Dai is currently Secretary General of the Andrology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and a recipient of the “Outstanding Young Scholar Award” from the International Society for the Study of Sexual Dysfunction (国际性功能障碍研究学会).