The testicles can be compromised by several conditions that produce inflammation in them. This condition is known as testicular orchitis. This condition is more common in young men or adults, while in children, it is rare.
Testicular orchitis can occur in one or both testicles. In some situations, it goes away on its own, but it usually needs to be treated, and recovery time is generally quick. You must consult your doctor to rule out other pathology other than testicular orchitides, such as testicular torsion. Although testicular inflammation is often not a serious condition, it often causes unpleasant symptoms and needs to be relieved. For this reason, at FastlyHealwe want you to be informed about testicular orchitis: causes, symptoms, and treatment.
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Some Causes of Testicular Orchitis
The swollen testicles can occur for several reasons, mainly related to the urinary tract, but can also be other reasons. The leading causes of testicular orchitis are:
- Parotitis or mumps: it is the inflammation of the salivary glands by a virus, and if it becomes complicated, it affects the testicles, which can cause permanent injuries, such as sterility. Testicular orchitis does not occur in all men who suffer from it or any damage in that area.
- Urinary infection: it is produced by the action of some bacteria, frequently those that cause gastrointestinal diseases and pneumonia, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus. These bacteria can infect the urinary tract or some of its components or come through the bloodstream from the intestine or throat and travel to the testicles.
- Sexually transmitted infection: the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis can be contracted through vaginal, oral, or anal sex and are diseases that cause inflammation and alterations in the urinary tract, affecting the testicles.
- Mistreated urinary tract infection: Testicular orchitis may be caused by incorrectly treating a urinary tract infection, using material contaminated with bacteria when performing an invasive technique, or placing and healing a catheter or probe in the penis.
- Urinary tract abnormalities: if there are malformations in the urinary system, there is usually a greater predisposition for infections, and testicular orchitis occurs. These abnormalities can occur in some system structures’ shape, size, position, or number. In most cases, the ureters are involved, and urinary drainage is complex.
- Brucellosis: is a disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella and is characterized by very high fevers. The infection can lead to inflammation of one of the testicles, generally.
- Tuberculosis: the bacteria of this disease mainly attack the lung, but the urinary tract can be affected. These microorganisms can travel to the testicles through the blood, reaching directly to the epididymis and the prostate, or they spread to the kidneys and then distribute through the ducts of these structures.
- Other viral diseases: virus infection primarily causes testicular inflammation problems as a complication, but it is not usually frequent. These diseases include chickenpox and infectious mononucleosis.
- Trauma: although it is not a very common cause, orchitis may develop in some cases if the injury is severe.
- Autoimmune diseases: the development of orchitis due to these disorders does not occur immediately. Still, it will depend on the time it is exposed to the attacks of the antibodies against the body’s tissues. It generally affects only one testicle, and, as in other cases, testicular inflammation appears as a complication of the condition.
Primary symptoms of testicular orchitis
Depending on what causes testicular orchitis, some symptoms may occur in one or both testicles. On the other hand, the manifestation of symptoms can vary; mostly, they appear suddenly without an apparent cause. Other times, they appear alongside the disease’s symptoms that produce it or even after the pathology manifests itself. Some of the clinical manifestations of testicular orchitis are:
- Inflammation or swelling of the testicle may feel stiff or thickened.
- Pain in the testicle or scrotum, at first to the touch and then can occur without friction.
- Reddened scrotal skin.
- High fever.
- Discomfort or pain when urinating.
- Tenderness in the groin area. Sometimes there may be swelling.
- Pain during sexual intercourse, difficulty with erection, or discomfort when ejaculating.
- The presence of blood in semen or urine is usually in small quantity.
- Purulent discharge from the opening of the urethra.
Treatment to relieve testicular orchitis
To combat testicular inflammation, it is necessary to detect what causes it. For this, you should visit a urologist in the event of any discomfort in the testicles or urinary tract for a correct diagnosis. The best treatment is indicated to relieve orchitis and counteract any pathology that causes it.
Depending on the cause of the inflammation of the testicles, the treatment that is carried out will be the treatment. Still, the doctor may recommend administering anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs to alleviate the symptoms until they disappear, as occurs with viral infections, since typically no specific treatment is necessary. It can also be used when the cause is due to trauma or in other complementary conditions, such as autoimmune diseases.
If the infection is of bacterial origin, the treatment may include antibiotics, accompanied by anti-inflammatories and analgesics. When a transmission is sexual, the couple must follow the same treatment even if they do not have symptoms.
On the other hand, regardless of the cause of orchitis, it is recommended to keep on bed rest as much as possible to prevent symptoms from worsening. It also helps to apply ice packs to the inflamed area, either the testicles or the groin area. The duration of orchitis is several weeks or months.
Does testicular orchitis cause infertility?
One of the fears that this disease produces in men who want to start a family is if it causes sterility. Testicular orchitis can cause sterility because the temperature in the testicle increases due to inflammation, thus affecting spermatogenesis. Bacterial orchitis usually has a better prognosis than those caused by viruses such as mumps.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Testicular orchitis: causes, symptoms, and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Male reproductive system.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.