Gentlemen be careful with orchitis

Doctor, from what symptoms can a man think he has orchitis?

Pain, aching, and swelling in one or both testicles are the first signs. Some people have a dull pain, others have severe pain. The skin in the scrotum is red and hot. The patient has difficulty urinating, frequent urination, and painful urination. When ejaculating, there is pain or blood in the semen. People with orchitis often have a fever. Some people feel nauseous or vomit.

Dr. Le Si Trung - Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Urology and Nephrology Association.

What are the common causes of orchitis, doctor?

There are many causes of orchitis in men. Orchitis can be caused by infections from sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, genital warts. Therefore, people who have unsafe sex and have many sexual partners are at high risk of orchitis due to infection.

People with urinary problems such as urinary tract infections are at higher risk of developing orchitis.

Improper genital hygiene can also cause inflammation. Note that people who do not clean after sex can also cause harmful agents to enter the testicles, causing inflammation.

People with mumps infection who are not properly treated can also develop orchitis.

Blocked vas deferens or a history of trauma or accident involving the testicles are also at higher risk of developing orchitis.

So, can we understand that orchitis will significantly affect the patient's life?

Orchitis is a disease that cannot be cured without medical intervention because bacteria and viruses are still present in the body. If not treated promptly, orchitis can lead to dangerous complications.

Infertility is the most dangerous complication of orchitis in men. Because if not detected early, it will cause the testicles to shrink, the spermatocytes will be damaged, leading to complete loss of function. This is followed by testicular atrophy, making the hormone production process difficult and sperm quality decline. In addition, severe inflammation in the testicles can cause abscesses to appear, causing testicular abscesses. Once the abscess is too large, it will cause compression of neighboring organs, even causing necrosis and testicular rupture, threatening the patient's life.

Therefore, people with orchitis should not be subjective. When there are signs of the disease, it is necessary to see a specialist for examination and treatment. Because if left untreated, the disease will become more severe, the testicles will have many uncomfortable symptoms such as swelling, sharp pain, redness, which can easily cause many complications affecting the quality of life, especially psychology and reproductive health.

Can orchitis be cured, doctor?

Orchitis can be cured if detected early and treated promptly. Orchitis caused by the mumps virus may not require treatment, and symptoms will subside after 7 days.

Currently, there are two methods of treating orchitis: medical treatment for mild cases and surgical intervention for more serious conditions.

Medical treatment is used for acute orchitis, patients are treated with medication prescribed by the doctor. In addition to antibiotics, patients may need to take anti-inflammatory and pain relievers. In case the disease is determined to be caused by sexually transmitted bacteria, the patient's sexual partner also needs to be treated. If the orchitis is caused by a virus or infection, the doctor will treat the infection in parallel with the treatment of the orchitis.

Surgical treatment is a method of treating complications of orchitis such as testicular atrophy, abscess, hydrocele, etc. Depending on the complication, the doctor will perform appropriate surgical procedures. For example, when orchitis causes an abscess complication, the doctor will puncture or incise the abscess to drain the fluid and treat the infection. For hydrocele, the doctor can perform a procedure to aspirate the spermatic fluid.

Surgical treatment is a method to treat complications of orchitis such as: testicular atrophy, abscess, hydrocele. (illustrative image).

Most surgical treatments for orchitis are minor. After surgery, the patient can go home.

So the post-treatment home care process is also quite important. What advice can you give to patients?

Patients need to take medication exactly as prescribed by their doctor. Never stop taking medication without a doctor's instructions.

Note, always keep the genital area clean. Do not have sex, masturbate or any sexual activity until the disease is completely cured.

Follow the follow-up schedule so the doctor can check whether the patient has fully recovered.

Thank you doctor for this useful information.

Kareem Winters

Update 10 February 2025