Article 138: Single-herb remedies, medicinal diets, and daily precautions for gynecomastia (male breast development)

◇A Guide to Caring for Your Husband's Health as a Good Wife◇

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Treatment and recuperation of common diseases

Traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for treating gynecomastia

1. Grind 9 grams of soapberry thorns, 9 grams of bee honeycomb, 9 grams of *Cremastra appendiculata*, 9 grams of camphor, 9 grams of raw *Pinellia ternata*, 6 grams of scorpion, and 6 grams of centipede into a fine powder. Mix with an appropriate amount of aged rice vinegar or egg white and apply to the affected area. Secure with gauze and apply once daily.

2. Gypsum 50g, Glauber's salt 50g, Phellodendron bark 100g. Grind into a fine powder, mix with water, and apply topically once daily.

3. Grind 90g of Gleditsia sinensis thorns, 90g of bee honeycomb, 90g of Cremastra appendiculata, 90g of camphor, 150g of raw Pinellia ternata, 150g of raw Arisaema heterophyllum, 60g of scorpion, and 60g of centipede into a fine powder. Depending on the size of the affected area, mix an appropriate amount of aged rice vinegar or egg white and apply to the affected area. Secure with gauze and change the dressing once a day.

4. 9g of green tangerine peel, 9g of prepared myrrh, 6g of prepared aconite root (decocted first), 12g of kelp, 12g of seaweed, and 12g of prunella vulgaris. One dose daily, decocted in water. Used for those with blood stasis and phlegm accumulation.

5. Cyperus rotundus 10g, Citrus reticulata leaves 10g, Prunella vulgaris 10g, Poria cocos 10g, Bupleurum chinense 3g, Citrus reticulata peel 6g, Citrus aurantium peel 6g, raw oyster shell (decocted first) 15g. One dose daily, decocted in water and taken orally. Used for those with qi stagnation and phlegm accumulation.

Medicinal diet for treating gynecomastia

1. 100g dried mussels, 50g dried cuttlefish, 100g lean pork. Soak the mussels and cuttlefish separately in water until soft, wash them, cut them into small pieces with their inner shells, and cook them with the pork in a soup. Season to taste and serve.

2. One black-boned chicken and 30 grams of chestnuts. Remove the chicken's internal organs, head, and feet. Place the chicken and chestnuts in a clay pot, add water, and simmer over low heat for at least one hour. Season to taste, then drink the soup and eat the chicken and chestnuts. This is suitable for patients with this condition accompanied by dizziness, anemia, and edema.

3. Stir-fry 100 grams of oyster meat and 2 eggs together until cooked, then serve as a side dish.

4. Dried kelp (fresh kelp is also acceptable), rinsed with water, cut into strips or chunks, stir-fried with seasonings, and eaten as a dish. It has the effect of softening hard masses, dispersing nodules, and eliminating phlegm.

5. Take 30 grams of Eucommia ulmoides, 15 grams of Epimedium, and one pig kidney. Wash them, add water, and simmer until cooked. Add a little salt to taste and serve. This is used for patients with this condition who also experience lower back pain, seminal emission, and impotence.

Daily precautions for gynecomastia

1. Get plenty of rest and sleep, and avoid squeezing breast lumps.

2. Maintain a cheerful mood and a happy spirit.

3. Pay attention to dietary adjustments, avoid unbalanced diets, and eat nutritious and easily digestible foods. Avoid fatty, cold, and spicy foods. In addition, appropriately controlling protein intake during the illness can help shorten the course of the disease.

4. If the symptoms are caused by the medication, discontinue use immediately. Close monitoring is essential when using androgen therapy; excessive dosage should be avoided.

5. Regular physical exercise plays a positive role in restoring and maintaining the balance and regulation of the body's internal environment, including the endocrine and nervous systems. Appropriate exercise programs can be selected based on personal preferences and abilities.

6. Actively treat the underlying disease, such as liver disease, diabetes, testicular developmental abnormalities, etc.

Prognosis of gynecomastia

Generally speaking, men with physiological gynecomastia have a good prognosis. For those caused by endocrine disorders, the prognosis depends on the timing of onset and the timeliness of treatment. For those caused by liver disease, the prognosis depends on the degree of liver function compensation; generally, those with decompensated liver function have a poorer prognosis.

Male menopause syndrome

Male menopause syndrome refers to a syndrome caused by the decline in gonadal function, resulting in a range of clinical symptoms affecting energy, mood, interests, psychology, appetite, physical strength, and libido. The physiological changes associated with male menopause are less pronounced than in women and occur later, typically between 48 and 58 years of age.

Causes of disease

The etiology of this disease is not fully understood. It is generally believed that after men enter menopause, the testicular tissue first undergoes degenerative changes, with a gradual decline in the function of testicular interstitial cells and the spermatogenic function of seminiferous tubules. This leads to a decrease in testicular weight and volume, and a gradual reduction in male hormone activity. Subsequently, a decline in hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal, and sexual function occurs, eventually resulting in a complete endocrine dysfunction. Some individuals have a poor ability to adapt to these changes, and as the serum concentration, secretion rate, and elimination rate of male hormones decrease, they exhibit a series of symptoms characterized by autonomic nervous system disorders, leading to the onset of the disease.