Testicle pain can occur at any age and for a variety of reasons. Most often it can be categorized as acute rather than a chronic type of pain. Meaning that its starting point and duration tend to be short once treatment has been initiated, in comparison to the long, drawn out qualities of chronic pain.
I have babies with testicular torsion, middle aged men with testicular cancer, and men with prostate cancer come into the ER complaining of testicle pain.
As I mentioned earlier, testicle pain can occur for severa lreasons, most common being epididymitis, testicular torsion, orchitis and testicular cancer. Testicle pain due to varicocoeles and hydrocoeles is rarer
A good history and physical examination provide the physician with a correct diagnosis. In the case of infection, lab work substantiates the diagnosis and enables the physician to choose the most appropriate course of treatment.
On page 9 in my book “Comprehensive Guide To Understanding Testicular Pain Complete With Facts On Other Male Problems”, I have outlined a series of questions a male patient can expect to be asked. These questions, because of their personal nature , may seem embarrassing. However, it is very important that the patient set aside those feelings and answer them both honestly and accurately. In the case of infections due to sexually transmitted diseases, the well being of both the patient and his contact(s) could be at stake.
To understand pain, we have to realize that it is the body telling our brain, that something is not quite right, in fact something may be very abnormal.
As organisms evolved and became more complex, there came a time when a neural center was created and was able to understand that pain was an extremely uncomfortable sensation and that it was associated with a break in the safety or even survival of the organism. As a result, both voluntary and involuntary actions taken by the different parts of the organism are executed to ease the pain and guarantee survival of the organism. For example, touching an extremely hot object causes instant pain which the brain interprets as a danger to the organism’s survival. The result is a electrical impulse sent from the brain to the muscles to remove that part of the body away from the cause of the pain.
Pain caused by infection signals the brain to produce enzymes, neurotransmitters and hormones that organize the body’s defence army. This includes antibodies and white blood cells. The purpose of these cells is to kill the invading microorganisms.
Testicle pain is no different. Signals, in the form of pain, are sent to the brain to indicate “Houston we have a problem”! Infection caused by microorganisms brings in a host of white blood cells. A battle ensues and the casualties appear in the form of a discharge – dead white blood cells mixed with dead microorganisms and lymph fluid. Page 10 in my book details the microorganisms commonly associated with STD’s that cause testicle pain.
Testicular torsion, another cause of severe testicle pain, is the result of a congenital anomoly in which the testicle is able to rotate in the scrotal sac, kind of like twisting the top of a balloon. It causes the testicle to become engorged with venous blood and eventually could lead to death of the testicle due to lack of fresh blood.
To summarize, all the direct causes of testicle pain which result in the abnormal distension of genital tissue, can partially be traced to pressure sensors in the tissue which send chemical signals to the brain to indicate that an abnormal state of affairs is occurring. Chapter 2 in my book goes into a great deal more detail on the etiology and treatment of testicle pain.
If you wish to learn more about testicular pain, please click on the link below and you will be taken to the secure ordering site for my book “Comprehensive Guide To Understanding Testicular Pain Complete With Facts On Other Male Problems” .
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Dr. Graham Keats has been practicing medicine in the United States and Canada for 37 years as a family and emergency room physician. His expertise in dealing with testicle pain, testicular pain, pain in testicles , he relays to you in a down to earth and sensitive manner. Visit his site to read more about testicular pain, testicle pain, pain in testicles.