Symptoms of inflammation of the testicles

introduction

Testicular inflammation (Latin: orchitis) is an infectious disease that can be accompanied by severe pain. In addition, fever, swelling and redness may occur. The inflammation is usually triggered by viruses and can also spread to the epididymis, so that a clear distinction is often not possible.

If you suspect that testicular inflammation may be present, you should definitely consult a doctor. Testicular inflammation is a serious disease that can lead to a loss of function of the testicle and, as a result, sterility.

The overview of the symptoms

• General feeling of illness
• fever
• Redness
• swelling
• overheat
• Urge to urinate
• Problems urinating
• Swelling of the lymph nodes

The swelling

The swelling is a classic sign of inflammation. The tissue reacts to the bacteria or viruses by releasing special messenger substances. These messenger substances lead to an expansion of the vessels and an increase in their permeability. This allows more immune cells to get to the site of inflammation. However, the increased permeability of vessels also leads to increased fluid accumulation in the tissue. This causes the testicle to swell. A pronounced inflammatory reaction can lead to severe swelling of the testicles, which can be extremely painful.

Elevation of the testicle is recommended to relieve pressure. For this purpose, special jockstraps can be purchased in sanitary shops. Painkillers that also have anti-inflammatory effects, such as ibuprofen or diclofenac, can also provide relief. After successful therapy, the swelling can persist for a few days as the body needs some time to remove the fluid again.

Find out more about the topic here: The testicular swelling.

The pain

A testicular inflammation is usually characterized by severe pain. The testicle is a sensitive organ and is supplied by numerous nerves. The inflammatory reaction leads to a sensitization of the nerves. This means that pain stimuli are perceived more strongly than usual. On the other hand, the inflammatory reaction leads to swelling of the testicle. The accumulation of fluid compresses the nerves, causing pain.

Painkillers that also have an anti-inflammatory effect can be administered therapeutically. These are conventional agents such as ibuprofen or diclofenac. Furthermore, elevation and cooling of the testicle can help reduce pain. In the course of the treatment, the pain intensity decreases and disappears completely after successful treatment.

The redness

The reddening is also a classic sign of inflammation. The tissue reacts to the pathogens by releasing inflammatory mediators. These are messenger substances that lead to an expansion of vessels. The best-known messenger substance for this is histamine. Because of this mechanism, the vessels under the skin now appear more prominent and lead to reddening.

The overheating

Inflammation can also lead to local overheating. This is due to special messenger substances that lead to an expansion of vessels. The increased blood circulation also leads to overheating.

Cooling the testicle can reduce overheating and thus have a soothing effect.

The urge to urinate

The symptoms can vary depending on the causative agent. The inflammation of the testicles can also present itself as a urinary tract infection. The irritation of the surrounding tissue can create the feeling of having to urinate more often. The affected patients have to go to the toilet more often and only excrete a small amount.

Find out more about the topic here: The urge to urinate.

The problems with urination

Since testicular inflammation can also cause symptoms similar to a urinary tract infection, urination problems can also arise. The inflammatory reaction of the tissue leads to an irritation of the sensitive nerve endings that supply the genital area. As a result, stimuli can be felt more painful than usual. Urination is also perceived as painful for this reason.

The urethra also narrows as the inflammation causes the testicles to retain fluid and swell. This makes urination even more difficult.

Also read the article: Problems urinating.

The feeling of illness

The inflammation of the testicles can also affect the entire body. The pathogens can also attack other organs. The body is weakened and tries to fight this pathogen through various immune reactions. Fever is one of those immune reactions that help fight the pathogen.

Whether the inflammation affects the entire body depends on the pathogen and the extent of the inflammation. If the course is complicated, in which the inflammation rises into the abdomen, a feeling of illness is very likely.

The fever

Officially, one speaks of fever when the body temperature rises to 38.5 degrees. The fever is an immune reaction of the body and serves to fight the pathogen. The increase in body temperature enables the cells to work better so that the pathogens can be fought more quickly.

A high fever can develop in a complicated course of testicular inflammation and should definitely be reduced, as the body's own proteins can be destroyed above certain values.

Do the symptoms affect both testicles?

Symptoms don't have to affect both testicles. Usually (70-90%) testicular inflammation affects only one testicle. In about ten to thirty percent of cases, however, there is inflammation on both sides. Usually the inflammation of one testicle spreads to the other, so that both testicles are inflamed.

What are the symptoms of epididymitis?

Inflammation of the epididymis causes symptoms similar to those of testicular inflammation. For this reason, it is difficult to differentiate between the diseases.

The symptoms of epididymitis are swelling, reddening and overheating of the testicle or scrotum. In addition, symptoms similar to a urinary tract infection can develop. Difficult and painful urination can therefore occur. Furthermore, the disease is very painful and the epididymis is very sensitive to pressure. Fever and general malaise can also accompany the disease.

Since the symptoms mentioned are very similar to those of testicular inflammation, it is very difficult to differentiate between them. It may be possible to find out which inflammation is exactly based on the medical history and the pathogen diagnostics.

Find out all about the topics here: Epididymitis and these symptoms I recognize epididymitis