When it comes to going to the doctor, many people avoid making an appointment. There are a number of people who just suffer through the pain and hope that everything will get better. In some case, you may feel uncomfortable asking the doctor about more awkward medical problems like testicular pain. If your balls hurt, there may be a medical reason for the pain. Depending on the cause, you may need medical care. While varicose veins or a cyst could be a basic, fairly non-dangerous cause, there are other medical conditions that cause testicular pain. Some of these conditions can be dangerous, so it is important to get checked out by a medical professional.
Why Do My Balls Hurt?
1. Kidney Stones
One of the common reasons why your balls may hurt is kidney stones. It sounds odd at first. After all, your kidneys are quite a distance away from your testicles. A kidney stone can cause pain as he stone passes through your system.
This condition basically develops because crystals in your urinary tract or kidneys start to form a hard, rock-like substance. They may have jagged edges, which makes them even more painful. Kidney stones are a common problem among men, and they can often pass on their own if you drink enough water. If the kidney stone is too large to pass on its own, you may need to have surgery to remove it.
2. Inguinal Hernia
While it may sound terrifying, a hernia can be readily treated. Often, a hernia does not cause major pain and is mostly just uncomfortable. An inguinal hernia often starts around your inner thigh. It then moves to your abdomen before running to your scrotum toward your testicles. If you think think that it you may have a hernia, it is important to go to your doctor to be professionally treated for it.
3. Varicocele
Varicocele is the medical term for varicose veins on your testicles. When you have varicose veins in this area, it can make your testicles feel like they contain a bag of worms whenever you are sitting. When you stand up, this texture goes away. Varicose veins can be readily treated by your doctor. If the condition causes you pain or discomfort, go to your doctor because you may only need to take an anti-inflammatory drug to treat it.
4. Testicular Torsion
If your testicle pain feels like soreness, it may be due to testicular torsion. This condition tends to cause just moderate pain, but it can cause severe pain if you do not take care of it. In severe cases, you can even lose the inflamed testicle if you do not treat it properly. Once diagnosed, your doctor will most likely treat the condition with surgery and give you preventative measures to do to keep it from happening again.
5. Epididymitis
Epididymitis is a type of infection that affects the epididymis, which is the tube that stores your sperm toward the back of either of your testicles. There are many potential causes of this infection including bacteria from your intestines and sexually transmitted infections like gonorrhea and chlamydia. This condition will generally make your balls seem inflamed and swollen. Luckily, the condition is easily treated with antibiotics. As long as you get properly treated in time, it should not cause any long-term problems.
6. Hematocele
Hematocele is a medical term for an incident you probably overly familiar with if you have ever watched television. It is basically what happens if you take a major blow to your testicles. Blood fills the testicles causing hematocele. In most cases, rest (and avoiding further injuries) is all you need to recover. In severe cases, you may need to be treated with a surgical procedure.
7. Testicular Rupture
Like the last condition, a testicular rupture is generally caused by some type of trauma. It may be due to a blow to your testicles, a car accident or an athletic injury. Whatever the case, the membrane around your testicles can end up becoming torn. As a result, blood leaks into your scrotum. If you want to save the testicle, you need to get treated within 72 hours. This is a serious condition, so go to your doctor if you think that a testicular rupture could be a cause.
8. Testicular Cancer
This is another condition that requires immediate medical care. While you are statistically more likely to be suffering from one of the other causes on this list, cancer is a possible cause. In general, it will probably not cause you any real pain. Instead, you may experience discomfort in your chest, a lump in your testicles, fluid around your scrotum and lower back pain. It is important to go to the doctor if you think that this is the cause since the treatment is more likely to be successful if you catch it early.
9. Orchitis
There are some symptoms that you could have orchitis. Often, you will experience pain in your testicles and penis. You may also have blood in your semen and a high fever. If you have these symptoms, your doctor will want to run tests to figure out why this condition started. Once diagnosed, you can generally be treated successfully with antibiotics and rest.
10. Spermatocele
If the pain is toward the back of your testicles, you could have a cyst. Spermatocele refers to a condition where a cyst grows in the epididymis, which is where you semen is stored. This condition is quite common, but it can generally be treated fairly easy. Your doctor will most likely need to check to make sure that the cyst is not growing in size and is not cancerous.
Other Possible Conditions
If none of the previous conditions seems to be causing your balls to hurt, then you may have another problem. If you are diabetic, it could be due to neuropathy (nerve damage). It could be due to pain associated with a vasectomy or masses in your scrotum. Testicular pain could be cased by a type of blood vessel inflammation known as Henoch-Schonlein or a urinary tract infection. If the pain is only in one of your two testicles, it could be due to a retractile testicle, which is when one testicle basically retracts into your groin.
What to Do
If your balls hurt, go to the doctor. This is especially important if you experience symptoms like blood in your urine, fever, nausea, swelling or chills. Any lumps in your testicles should be checked out by your doctor. For more simple cases, you can take a pain reliever to relieve the pain. Sexually transmitted infections can also cause this problem, so make sure that you are tested for them.