The testicles are a pair of organs located in the scrotum and isolated from each other. Produces sperm and testosterone. It also produces sperm. Thus, the testicles are the reproductive organs of all humans.
Each egg is covered in a shell, and usually one is smaller than the other. Their slight asymmetry is not a pathology, but rather a general phenomenon.
Shortly before birth, they descend into the scrotum. Their shape resembles an ellipse, up to 5 cm long and 3. 5 cm wide. The average weight of a testicle is 15-25 g. . It has been proven that their volume directly depends on the place of residence and the species. The scrotum protects the testicles from injury and extreme temperatures. His skin is very sensitive, as is the body as a whole. Therefore, even mild pain in the testicles affects the state of the entire body: mild nausea, nervousness, dizziness, etc.
There are cases when the question of why a man's testicles hurt, the reasons for this symptom can be different. The pain can be of a different nature: aching, pulling, throbbing, shooting. And most of the time, a man can't say what the reason was. Unpleasant and painful feelings should not be ignored in any case.
You need to make an appointment urgently. A urologist is concerned with identifying the causes that cause certain types of pain. The doctor examines and palpates the testicles to determine whether there are signs of inflammatory diseases: swelling, internal seals, pain. If necessary, a full examination is carried out.
Symptoms that indicate problems with the testicles:
- the presence of seals or a small tumor;
- pain to the touch or change in shape and size;
- the presence of pain that was not caused by any injury;
- pain that lasts for more than an hour after an injury to the testicle;
- the presence of pulling, increasing pain;
- elevated temperature.
Next, we will take a closer look at why a man's balls hurt - the causes of pain.
Injury. When the cause of the pain is an injury resulting from mechanical impact. Its duration and strength are directly proportional to the severity of the impact. A small bruise causes sharp, short-term pain.
Severe pain from a serious injury can cause shock or loss of consciousness. If there is discomfort in the testicles, pay attention to the type of pain. If it does not go away for a long time and intensifies, then we can assume that there is a chronic injury. Cut and puncture wounds are particularly dangerous. In this case, an ambulance is needed, otherwise there is a high probability of losing the testicle.
Twisting. It is still not clear why this happens, but the consequences of such a phenomenon are so serious that they can cause the death of the testicles. In the case of torsion, acute pain occurs suddenly.
Blood circulation stops and the vas deferens is compressed. In this case, consult a doctor immediately, no later than 7 hours later. Usually manual detorsion is performed first. If this does not help, they resort to surgical intervention. Most often, this phenomenon occurs at a young age.
Inflammation. It can occur both in the epididymis (epididymitis) and in the testicle itself (orchitis). The cause of these diseases are viral and bacterial infections that are spread during sexual intercourse.
Epididymitis is characterized by pain on one side, which increases, swelling of the scrotum appears, urination is accompanied by pain and a burning sensation, white fluid is released from the urethra, body temperature rises, and blood may appear in the semen.
Causes of the disease: prostatitis and urethritis, urethral infection, complication of tuberculosis. It can be acute or chronic. The duration of the initial stage is a maximum of one and a half months. The inability to conceive will be the result of complications and untreated.
In the case of a disease lasting longer than six months, we can speak of chronic epididymitis. It is accompanied by a deterioration of the general well-being, a weakening of the immune system, and the inflammation passes into the skin bag. In orchitis, the testicles become enlarged, causing pain. The temperature rises sharply, pain appears in the groin and lower back.
The skin sac will be smooth due to the overflow of blood. The pain is aggravated by walking or exercising. Such a phenomenon can be the result of trauma or contact with a patient (mumps, typhus, trippers).
Unsatisfied sexual excitement. It also causes pain. Prolonged erection leads to blood stagnation. Most often, it goes away on its own and does not require treatment.
Hernia. Penetration of organs from the peritoneum into the skin bag through the holes formed in it. Visually, it looks like a lump in the groin or scrotum. It causes pain, especially when touched. When they increase, nausea and vomiting occur. It can be determined that the hernia has been damaged. If surgery is not performed, necrosis with peritonitis may develop.
You can talk about prostatitis if the following symptoms appear:
- feels a strong burning sensation when urinating;
- increased attempts to urinate at night;
- constant urge and feeling of urine saturation;
- presence of pain during ejaculation;
- the tip of the penis is the source of the pain.
Renal colic. When stones move along the urinary tract as a result of urolithiasis. The pain is so strong that it radiates to the scrotum. This often causes nausea and vomiting.
Varicocele. With this disease, the veins of the skin pouch expand, which is accompanied by the appearance of bumps around the egg and increases in size. It does not pose a threat to one's health and does not cause much concern during one's lifetime. But with complications it can lead to infertility. It is usually observed on the left side (80-98%). This is due to the fact that the veins coming from different sides flow in different ways.
Varicocele is observed on both sides only in 2-12% of cases, and on the right side - in 3-8%. The cause of this disease is the malfunctioning of the valves in the vessels. With hard work or sports, as well as in a standing position, this leads to an increase in blood vessels. This is how the veins around the spermatic cord swell. The peculiarities of the anatomical location of the renal vein and superior artery can also cause such a disease.
Water disease. Accumulation of serous fluid occurs in the shell of the testicles.
This can result in injury, heart failure, or damage to the lumbar or pelvic lymph nodes.
The occurrence of skin bags and pain increases. It is diagnosed by simple probing, in special cases an ultrasound must be performed. It was removed during surgery.
Spermatocele. An empty sac is formed in the testicle, which is filled with sperm fluid and does not reach a significant size. The leather bag is not deformed and is not accompanied by pain. It can be emptied during ejaculation.
Tumors. Pain in the testicles can cause malignant tumors. Cryptorchidism can cause such a pathology. This disease occurs at birth, when the testicles do not descend into the skin sac, but remain in the abdomen, where the temperature is much higher. As a result, tumors of different etiologies develop.
Factors causing the formation of the tumor:
- genetic predisposition;
- damage to the testicles;
- underdevelopment of the testes;
- surgical interventions;
- inability to conceive.
If you have been diagnosed with a malignant tumor, do not despair. Testicular cancer detected at an early stage can be cured quite effectively. Therefore, it is very important to see a doctor immediately if you feel any pain.
Testicles hurt: causes in men, children and diagnostic methods
When the testicles hurt, the causes in men can be various diseases typical of adults, but in children the causes are often somewhat simpler.
Almost all pain that occurs is caused by trauma or wearing tight underwear. In addition to the pain, the skin surface is scratched, irritated, and often swollen.
Bruising of the testicles most often occurs during active and highly mobile play, or during a fight with a child, when the child is hit in the scrotum. Bruises also occur when driving a vehicle such as a bicycle (unsuccessful landing on a hard seat). Upon impact, pain occurs, the inner shell of the testicle is damaged, and swelling occurs. The scrotum turns purple.
twist it around the shaft. In a normal healthy state, the testicles are connected to the "outer" side inside the scrotum by so-called fibers. In boys, it sometimes happens that the attachment is weak, which is why twisting occurs. Torsion of blood vessels occurs on its own, so the blood flow is first disturbed, and then it can stop completely.
There is a sharp, sharp pain, the testicle swells, a tactile touch leads to pain. This condition is accompanied by nausea and severe vomiting and may require surgical intervention. In slightly older boys, the vas deferens, located on both sides of the testicles, can also be damaged.
The testicle swells, one side of the scrotum, skin redness appears, pain is felt when touched. Parotitis, mumps in ordinary people, causes inflammation of the testicles as a complication. After many hormone treatments, the risk of infertility is significantly reduced. Other diseases - lack of water, hernia in the groin, testicular underdevelopment, absence of a testicle in the scrotum. Sometimes young parents think that the child has no testicles.
They are absolutely there, just not where they should be, that is, not in the right place, not in the scrotum. During fetal development, the testicles are located near the kidneys. As the fetus grows and develops, they somehow descend and end up in the scrotum almost before birth. Sometimes it happens that the testicles do not descend. This phenomenon is called cryptorchidism.
The disease does not cause discomfort or acute malaise, but due to such a disease, an adult man can have such a terrible disease as infertility. Therefore, an operation is performed (until the child reaches the age of six) - a testicle is lowered into the scrotum.
When the testicle remains in the abdominal cavity, a neoplasm is possible there. What must be done to avoid irreversible consequences. How is the problem handled? How can it be solved if the testicles hurt? The causes in men and children have been identified, now we need to figure out the treatment. Initially, you need to contact a highly qualified doctor and go through a number of procedures to make a diagnosis.
The doctor examines the patient, questions him and then sends him for laboratory tests:
- Blood donation.
- They give urine.
- If discharge appears from the glans penis, a urethral swab should be taken.
- Mandatory ultrasound examination of the testicles.
The treatment is prescribed by the doctor, depending on what caused the pain.
Minor injuries and bruises are treated at home under the supervision of a doctor, the therapy includes:
- Taking anti-inflammatory, anesthetic drugs.
- The scrotum rises.
- Ice is applied to the injury site.
- If the scrotum ruptures due to a bruise, blood accumulates in it, so treatment is not possible without timely surgical intervention.
Epididymitis. Most often, outpatient treatment is carried out, but if the situation is particularly neglected and difficult, then hospitalization is essential.
Treatment:
- Reception of antibacterial drugs for 14 days.
- Taking anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Taking medicines to relieve pain.
- Perform scrotal support.
- In case of complications, it is not possible to go without surgery. What complication are we talking about? Especially from the scrotal abscess.
An inguinal hernia is treated exclusively with surgery.
If the patient agrees, the treatment is completed on an outpatient basis, but at the same time, the strangulated hernia, which causes pain in the lower back and lower abdomen, must be surgically corrected.
It does not matter how the cause caused the pain in the testicles, so the treatment is carried out according to the prescription, under strict medical supervision and supervision. It should not be treated alone, because the consequences can be irreversible, and one loses a normal sex life due to stupidity, as well as the possibility of becoming a parent and continuing to compete. All diseases are preventable.
To do this, do not forget about personal hygiene and follow simple rules:
- leading a healthy lifestyle;
- eat correctly and in a balanced way, follow the system;
- be selective in sexual relations and remember to protect yourself;
- A regular sex life also means the prevention of malignant tumors.
Check your testicles more often. You can do this in the bath when the skin is relaxed from the warm water. Take the leather pouch in the palm of your hand, one testicle may be slightly larger, but it weighs the same. Roll the testicle in your fingers, feel it. Check the seals on them. Healthy testicles are elliptical in shape, not hard, smooth to the touch, without lumps.
Do this with both testicles. Carefully inspect the spermatic cords. They should be smooth and flexible. Check them on both testicles as well. Check the appendages on the back of the testicles. The little bumps should be soft and tender. If the disease has still overtaken you, do not despair and do not panic. The most important thing is to make the correct diagnosis.