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Suggest Treatment For Epididymitis
Question: I am 18 years old and I have had epididymitis for 6 months now. At first it was very painful so I went to see a urologist who gave me antibiotics and anti-flammatories. Ever since, I have not been in any pain, but the swollen-ness comes and goes. Often times, my epididymis still gets very swollen as I can see and feel a large lump about 1/3 the size of my testicle. It also tends to get very swollen when I exercise, although I have been reframing from any physical activity to try to recover from this. How long will this take to go away??
Brief Answer:
Kindly give few more details.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear, welcome to HCM forum.
Thanks for posting to us.
I have gone through your query in detail and understand your concern.
It will be fine if you can clarify few more points regarding this.
1)On which side you are having this problem?
2)Is the swelling constant always, or is it increasing on prolonged standing and decreasing on lying down?
3)Do you any associated symptoms like intermittent fever, vague testicular discomfort, burning sensation on urination, increased frequency of urination etc?
4)What about the consistency of the swelling when you feel? Is it soft, firm, or hard?
Kindly get back with details.
Thank you.
Kindly give few more details.
Detailed Answer:
Hello dear, welcome to HCM forum.
Thanks for posting to us.
I have gone through your query in detail and understand your concern.
It will be fine if you can clarify few more points regarding this.
1)On which side you are having this problem?
2)Is the swelling constant always, or is it increasing on prolonged standing and decreasing on lying down?
3)Do you any associated symptoms like intermittent fever, vague testicular discomfort, burning sensation on urination, increased frequency of urination etc?
4)What about the consistency of the swelling when you feel? Is it soft, firm, or hard?
Kindly get back with details.
Thank you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Hello,
Thanks for responding so quickly.
1) I am having this problem on the left side.
2) The swelling is not always constant. There tends to be an increase in swelling on prolonged standing or lots of walking, and much less swelling with no activity at all such as lying down.
3) There are no other associated symptoms.
4) Sometimes the swelling will be very firm (which usually occurs on prolonged standing/walking). But otherwise the swelling is usually soft, yet I can still feel/see a large lump.
Thanks for responding so quickly.
1) I am having this problem on the left side.
2) The swelling is not always constant. There tends to be an increase in swelling on prolonged standing or lots of walking, and much less swelling with no activity at all such as lying down.
3) There are no other associated symptoms.
4) Sometimes the swelling will be very firm (which usually occurs on prolonged standing/walking). But otherwise the swelling is usually soft, yet I can still feel/see a large lump.
Brief Answer:
This is probably varicocele.
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
Thanks for the information given.
From the detailed history, you are probably suffering from a condition called varicocele, and not epididymitis.
This is caused by dilatation and tortuosity of venous channels draining the testes, which is much common on the left side than right(due to peculiar anatomy of left venous channels). It increases on prolonged standing because of venous stasis and increased venous pressure.
Regarding treatment, the definitive treatment is surgical by a minor endoscopic procedure(venous ligation). But usually we go for ligation only if it is causing symptoms like pain or if the varicocele is very prominent(as this may compromise semen quality in long standing cases).
So, it will be fine if you get it examined by a general surgeon for assessment.
You may be asked for an USG (ultrasound) doppler of the scrotal sac.
Hope I have answered your query now.
If you have no further questions, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.
Wishing you good health.
Thank you.
This is probably varicocele.
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
Thanks for the information given.
From the detailed history, you are probably suffering from a condition called varicocele, and not epididymitis.
This is caused by dilatation and tortuosity of venous channels draining the testes, which is much common on the left side than right(due to peculiar anatomy of left venous channels). It increases on prolonged standing because of venous stasis and increased venous pressure.
Regarding treatment, the definitive treatment is surgical by a minor endoscopic procedure(venous ligation). But usually we go for ligation only if it is causing symptoms like pain or if the varicocele is very prominent(as this may compromise semen quality in long standing cases).
So, it will be fine if you get it examined by a general surgeon for assessment.
You may be asked for an USG (ultrasound) doppler of the scrotal sac.
Hope I have answered your query now.
If you have no further questions, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.
Wishing you good health.
Thank you.
Note: Consult a Urologist online for consultation about prostate and bladder problems, sexual dysfunction, kidney stones, prostate enlargement, urinary incontinence, impotence and erectile dysfunction - Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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