What is testicular pain?
Treatments that help relieve testicular pain include medications, home care, and surgery.
Men and boys may experience pain and soreness in one or both testicles, the organs located near the scrotum that produce the male sex hormone. This medical condition is called testicular pain. Doctors can help determine the underlying cause of testicular pain to help you find relief.
Symptoms of testicular pain
Testicular pain is a medical condition characterized by constant or intermittent testicle pain. If you have testicular pain, you might experience symptoms like:
- Red or swollen testicles
- Pain, pressure, or a heavy feeling in the testicles
- Low abdomen or groin pain
- Tenderness in the scrotum or testicles
- Nausea and vomiting
Some possible causes of testicular pain include:
- Injury or damage to one or both of the testicles
- Infection or swelling of the testicles or sperm duct
- Twisting of the testicles that cuts of blood supply (testicular torsion)
- Enlarged veins in scrotum
- Cyst in the epididymis
- Fluid around the testicles
- Kidney stone
- Hernia
Diagnosis for testicular pain
Most episodes of testicular pain are acute and relatively mild and resolve on their own. However, if you experience sudden, severe pain in your testicles, contact your doctor.
If your pain has been persistent for three or more months, you may have chronic testicular pain and should contact your doctor.
To diagnose your pain, you may undergo a physical examination and other tests, including:
- Blood test
- Urine test
- Analysis of prostate secretions
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Ultrasound of the testicles
Your doctor may also ask you some questions about:
- Where you’re experiencing pain
- How long the pain has lasted
- Your medical and sexual history
- Any activities that affect your level of pain
A healthcare provider will interview you to help determine a diagnosis and treatments to help relieve your testicular pain.
Treatments for testicular pain
Healthcare providers usually treat testicular pain differently depending on your condition and symptoms. Treatments to help relieve testicular pain could include one method or a combination of treatments.
Medications
If you have testicular pain, your provider might prescribe a medication that treats infection or inflammation. This may include antibiotics used to treat infections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to treat inflammation and pain, or hormone therapy.
Home care
Your healthcare provider may recommend rest, using ice packs, and supporting your scrotum in an elevated position to help you heal. Listening to your body and living a healthy lifestyle can help relieve testicular pain and help reduce the chance of pain recurring.
Surgery
Some providers may use surgery to treat testicular pain if you are experiencing an urgent condition such as cancer or testicular torsion. Testicular torsion is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention. Occasionally, the surgeon is able to manually untwist the testicles, though it usually requires surgery. If not treated quickly, testicular torsion can cause the loss of one or both testicles.
If you are experiencing testicular pain due to varicocele (vein enlargement), a different type of surgery may be recommended. In these cases, a surgeon may make a small incision in the testicles to help restore normal blood flow to the testicles.
Complications and side effects of testicular pain
Some testicular pain treatments have complications and side effects. For instance, if you undergo surgery to help relieve testicular pain, you might experience:
- Infection
- Infertility
- Deformity (misshapen testes)
- Sexual dysfunction(inability to experience satisfaction during sex)
- Testicular death (one or both testes die)
Medications for testicular pain may also have side effects. Consult your healthcare provider about possible complications of any medications you might take for testicular pain.