bubble_chart Concept

Thin and cold semen refers to semen that is thin, cold, and scanty in quantity. Maijing refers to it as "essential qi being thin and cold." Yixue Rumen calls it "cold sperm." The "Gujin Yijian" refers to it as "cold semen." Zhubing Yuanhou Lun records a condition called "deficiency fatigue scanty sperm." Thin and cold semen is one of the main causes of sterility.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Kidney Qi Deficiency︰The semen is thin and scanty, the body is weak or emaciated, the complexion is dull, lack of strength and shortness of breath, soreness in the lower back and weakness in the knees, alopecia areata, loose teeth, frequent urination or nocturia, a pale tongue, and a thin, weak pulse at the chi position. This is due to congenital deficiency, inherent weakness, prolonged or severe illness without recovery, or frequent masturbation in youth, which damages kidney qi. As a result, symptoms such as soreness in the lower back, weakness in the knees, alopecia areata, loose teeth, and a thin pulse manifest as signs of insufficient kidney qi. Due to the thin and scanty semen, married individuals often face infertility as the primary issue. Since there are no signs of deficiency in kidney yin or kidney yang, treatment should focus on moderately tonifying kidney qi, using Five-Seed Procreating Pill with modifications.
2. Deep-seated Cold and Chronic Cold︰The semen is thin and clear, scanty in amount, or mixed with sticky, jelly-like clumps. The genital area and inner thighs often feel cold, with cold hands and feet, and fear of cold. There may be lumbago, general fatigue, a pale complexion, listlessness, clear and copious urine, loose stools, a pale, swollen, and moist tongue or one with tooth marks, and a deep, thin, and weak pulse. Due to kidney yang deficiency and decline of life gate fire, yang deficiency leads to cold, manifesting as a cluster of cold and deficient signs, such as pudendal coldness, cold limbs, fear of cold, lethargy, lumbago, loose stools, or even impotence, a pale and swollen tongue, and deep, thin pulses. Treatment should focus on warming and tonifying kidney yang, using formulas like Right-Restoring Pill or Megalosaurus Pill with modifications.

The condition of clear and cold semen is primarily caused by the deficiency of kidney essential qi, which may be due to either insufficient innate endowment or excessive sexual activity. The main principles for treating clear and cold semen are to tonify the kidneys and regulate sexual activity. The deficiency of kidney qi leading to clear and cold semen and the deep-seated cold causing clear and cold semen are two different stages in the development of the same condition, with the former being milder and the latter more severe. Prolonged deficiency of kidney qi leading to clear and cold semen can further develop into deep-seated cold causing clear and cold semen. The former should be treated by gently tonifying kidney qi, while the latter requires warming and tonifying kidney yang. Both treatments emphasize warming and tonifying, avoiding cold and cooling medications that harm the kidneys. Additionally, it is essential to include blood and flesh-based tonics that replenish essence and marrow, such as Pilose Antler, Donkey-hide Gelatin, and Tortoise Carapace, as the saying goes, "essence in sufficiency should be treated with thick-flavor tonics." Insufficient essence leads to inadequate qi, so tonifying essence to generate qi or tonifying qi to produce essence are common methods for treating this condition. In treatment, it is also beneficial to incorporate spleen-tonifying and qi-generating herbs like Ginseng, Astragalus Root, and Solomonseal Rhizome, thereby nurturing the innate with the acquired, which is known as simultaneous treatment of the spleen and kidneys.