Orchitis Treatment: Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors of Inflammation of Testicles

Orchitis or inflammation of the testicles is a painful condition. It can be caused by various reasons like a viral infection. However, as it affects the testicles, most people feel too shy to contact a doctor or speak about it. So, it is natural to not know much about what can cause orchitis and how to treat it. In this article, you will get all the information about the symptoms, causes, prevention, and orchitis treatment.

Orchitis: An Overview

The testicles are among the most important male reproductive organs as they are responsible for making testosterone and sperm. The testicles are present inside a protective sac known as the scrotum. Orchitis can affect both testicles or just one.

The most common type of orchitis is epididymo-orchitis. The epididymis is a narrow tube that stores and carries sperm and epididymitis means swelling of the epididymis which also results in testicle pain.

Every year, nearly 600,000 men and boys have epididymitis. Around 6 out of 10 cases of epididymitis is accompanied by orchitis.

Causes of Orchitis

Bacterial or viral infection can lead to orchitis. In most cases, doctors discover that UTI or epididymitis is the underlying cause. Sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia can also cause bacterial orchitis.

Viral infections that may end up causing orchitis are:

• Chickenpox
• Rubella
• Prostate infections
• CMV
• Urinary Tract Infection

Orchitis Symptoms

Before reading about acute epididymoorchitis treatment, have a look at the major symptoms of it.

If someone develops orchitis, the most obvious sign is swelling and pain in the testicles. Some other symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
• Headaches
• Fever
• Muscle pain

Diagnosis of Orchitis 

Diverse diagnostic tests can be performed to be certain that a person has orchitis:

• Ultrasound: Doing an ultrasound of a person’s inflamed testicle can determine if the pain and inflammation are due to testicular orchitis or some other medical condition.
• Urine test: Sometimes, orchitis can be detected through a simple urine test. First, your urine sample will be collected. Then, it will be tested in a lab to check for sexually transmitted infections that may have caused the orchitis.
• Rectal examination: If there is a prostate infection, a rectal examination becomes necessary.
• Blood test: Doctors also perform a blood test to test for HIV and syphilis (if they suspect the individual’s orchitis might have been sexually transmitted).

Orchitis Treatment Options 

Whether you have mumps orchitis or viral orchitis, testicular orchitis treatment ideally involves administering antibiotics. However, for the swelling to disappear completely, you may have to wait for weeks or months.

Besides orchitis treatment antibiotics, applying cold packs is one of the best home remedies to reduce the pain. You can also apply a heating pad to your scrotal area. It will also be better if you refrain from performing sexual activities as having sex might cause more discomfort.

You should also not lift heavy items when you are getting treated for orchitis. Take rest and stay away from strenuous activities to get cured soon.

How to Prevent Orchitis?

Now that we have discussed epididymal orchitis treatment, wouldn’t you like to find out if there’s a way to prevent it in the future?

The following are the risk factors for orchitis:

We conclude by saying that if you have orchitis, don’t neglect it. If both the testicles are affected, sperm count may be decreased. Shrunken testicles or testicular atrophy is another rare complication.

With timely orchitis treatment, you can keep complications at bay, and you’ll quickly get relief. Therefore, get in touch with an experienced doctor as soon as possible.

Dr Ritu Agarwal

Dr. Ritu Agarwal is an appreciated IVF expert in Jaipur for IVF therapy, owing to her more than ten years of experience in this field. She is the top IVF specialist in Jaipur who makes every attempt to provide correct counseling and emotional support to patients in order to help them find the ideal solution for becoming parents.