Impotence happens to men of all ages, but there’s a larger group of older people who suffer from this. It leads to the belief that impotence is also part of the aging process. Impotence could be temporary. Occasional impotence could happen for a variety of reasons and is often not seen as a problem. However, when impotence persists for a while, it needs to be treated. Symptoms and signs of impotence in TCM include:

1. Decline of Fire of the Life Gate  
Chief Manifestations: Inability to have penis erection, thinness of seminal fluid, dizziness, tinnitus, pale complexion, listlessness, weak and sore loins and knees, aversion to cold, cold limbs, pale tongue with white coating, deep and thready pulse.

2. Impairment of the Heart and Spleen  
Chief Manifestations: Inability to have penis erection, listlessness, disturbed sleep, impaired appetite, lusterless complexion, pale tongue with thin, greasy coating, thready pulse.

3. Impairment of the Kidney due to Fright 
Chief Manifestations: Inability to have penis erection or weak erection of the penis, timidity, oversentiveness, palpitation, insomnia, thin and greasy tongue coating, wiry and thready pulse.

4. Stagnation of Liver Qi   
Chief Manifestations: Inability to have penis erection, depression or irritability, feeling of discomfort in the chest, distention and fullness in the hypochondrum, poor appetite, loose stools, thin tongue coating, wiry pulse.

5. Downward Movement of Damp Heat  
Chief Manifestations: Inability to have penis erection, damp and smelly scrotum, soreness of lower limbs, dark yellow urine, yellow and greasy tongue coating, and soft-superficial, rapid pulse.