Patient's question:
I feel like I might have acute epididymitis. I noticed that the skin of my testicles is particularly red and seems a bit swollen. It also hurts when I touch it. These symptoms have persisted for a week without any improvement. I'm still young and haven't even been married yet. I'm really scared. Could you please tell me: How should epididymitis be treated, and what effects should it have?Doctor's answer:
When various reasons lead to a decrease in one's resistance, pathogens can take the opportunity to infiltrate the epididymis, causing inflammation. This manifests as sudden pain in the scrotal area, swelling of the epididymis, significant tenderness upon touch, and may be accompanied by fever, hardening of the epididymis, etc. Resting in bed and using a scrotal support can alleviate symptoms, and a specially designed larger scrotal support with cotton padding is more comfortable to use. For severe pain, painkillers can be used, and local heat therapy can relieve symptoms and promote inflammation to subside. However, early use of heat therapy can relieve pain but also carries the risk of spreading infection, so it is advisable to use an ice pack for local cold compress in the early stages.