When There’s a Problem In the Jewel Sack-Scrotal Pain

Every man has taken one in the jewel box that bends him over in excruciating pain and discomfort. Fortunately, most of the pain goes away in a few minutes. However, the scrotum and its contents are very vulnerable to injury and disease. This blog will describe the most common conditions affecting men “down there”.

The scrotum is located outside the rest of the body in order to keep the testicles a few degrees cooler than the rest of the body. This is intended to keep the testicles which contain the sperm factories just the right temperature for sperm production.

Normal Anatomy of the Scrotum

The testicles have two functions: 1) sperm production and 2) testosterone production. Testosterone is the male hormone responsible for developing male characteristics like a deep voice, a beard, and the all-important sex drive.

Evaluation of the painful scrotum
Your doctor will take a careful history and find out how long the pain or swelling has been present. The doctor will want to know if the pain is associated with trauma like a soccer ball or someone’s foot to the “vital parts.” The association of pain and swelling with a fever is a sign of infection and inflammation. A physical exam will be conducted and a light may be used to see if there is excess fluid in the scrotum. This is followed by a urine exam and an ultrasound of the scrotum. This makes use of high frequency sound waves that are sent from a transducer and then reflected back to the transducer to be processed by a computer and then projected onto a computer screen. This test will usually diagnose most of the conditions that cause pain and swelling the scrotum.

Torsion

torsion of the testicle

This occurs when the testicle twists and inside the scrotum and cuts off the blood supply to the testicle. Although torsion of the testicle can occur at any age, it is most common in young boys and young men between the ages of 12 and 18. The chief compliant is the sudden onset severe pain in one testicle. It usually begins after exercise but can occur when the boy is at rest or even awaken the boy from sleep. The physical exam reveals that the testicle is painful to touch and drawn up high in the scrotum. The diagnosis is confirmed by the ultrasound exam. Immediate surgery is required in order to save the testicle. If surgical treatment is delayed beyond 4 hours, it is less likely that the testicle can be saved. Although torsion only occurs in one testicle, the urologist will always repair the opposite testicle so that torsion cannot occur on the opposite side in the future.

Testicular cancer

Testis Tumor

Most men with scrotal swelling worry about testicular cancer, it is actually relatively uncommon with only 7000 new cases diagnosed each year. The disease usually affects young men between the ages of 15-40. The cause is not known but it is much more common in males who have a testicle that has not descended into the scrotum at the time of birth. The man with testicular cancer usually notices a hard lump on the scrotum. The lump is usually painless. The diagnosis is confirmed with a blood test looking for tumor markers, beta HCG and alpha feto-protein, and a scrotal ultrasound. The treatment is to remove the testicle and the cancer. Testicular cancer has a very high cure rate. All men should learn to do a testicle self exam at least once a month. Any suspicious lumps or bumps should be brought to the attention of a physician.

Orchitis

Orchitis is an inflammation of the testicle that is associated with pain and fever and swelling. Mumps is the most common cause. It is not very common thanks to the use of vaccination in young boys. Mumps orchitis is caused by a virus and there is no treatment except bed rest, anti-inflammatory medication, and pain medication.

Epididymitis

This is a inflammatory condition involving the gland and ducts that are behind the testicle and are responsible for allowing sperm to mature until they are ready to enter the semen. It is usually a bacterial infection that starts in the urine or the prostate and then backs up and goes down the vas to cause an infection in the epididymis. The problem may be accompanied by burning on urination and a urethral discharge. Men may also have a fever.

The diagnosis is made with a physical examination, a urine test which may show evidence of infection. The treatment is bed rest, a scrotal support or tight jockey underwear to support the scrotum, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication.

Hydrococele

hydrococele

A hydrococele is a swelling that takes place slowly over time. Usually months or even years. A hydrococele is a collection of fluid around the testicle, which remains entirely normal. A doctor can easily make the diagnosis by simply transilluminating the scrotum with a bright flashlight held up against the scrotum. The diagnosis can be confirmed with an ultrasound examination.

The treatment is usually surgical procedure which is brief operation, done on a one day stay basis and most men can return to all activities two weeks after the operation.

Spermatococele

Spermatococeles are fluid filled cysts in the epididymis. Spermatococeles are usually painless swellings that can also be diagnosed by tranillunination. Surgery is the treatment of choice if the spermatococele causes discomfort because of its size or if it is cosmetically unacceptable.

Varicocele

varicocele

Varicoceles consist of dilated network of veins in the spermatic cord. This problem is common and occurs in 15% of men and occurs most commonly on the left side. It usually causes minimal discomfort but can be associated with infertility. Treatment consists of surgically tying off the abnormal veins or using a coil placed by a radiologist to occlude the abnormal veins.

Bottom Line: A lump or bump down there should get a man’s attention. Most scrotal conditions can be easily diagnosed in the doctor’s office or with a scrotal ultrasound. Most cases are not serious and prompt treatment will nearly always put a man back in action.

Medicinal Value of Hypnosis-You Are Feeling Very Sleepy!

Hypnosis, once the stuff of parlor tricks, is being taken seriously by a growing number of medical experts. Not only can clinical hypnosis help to treat some diseases and health conditions, but it’s also being used at a growing number of hospitals in place of anesthesia. Doctors are finding that using hypnosis in combination with local anesthesia can eliminate the need for general anesthesia for some surgeries, reducing costs and speeding recovery times. And procedures normally performed with local anesthesia can be done with hypnosis and less pain medicine is required after the surgery.

Here, a brief guide:

How does hypnosis work?
It has been described as a “modified state of consciousness.” While the patient’s mind is concentrating on a pleasant place or an enjoyable experience, it doesn’t process some immediate physical sensations as painful or negative. So while surgeons are cutting into skin, for example, the patient might be thinking about being on a tropical beach with waves lapping at his feet, and wouldn’t feel any pain. Hypnosis is typically performed by a professional hypnotherapist, who uses verbal repetition and mental imagery to get the patient into a pleasurable state of focused concentration.

Where is clinical hypnosis being used?

It’s increasingly used in mainstream European hospitals and clinics, and with considerable success. France, Belgium, Germany, and the U.K. have perhaps the highest number of clinicians who practice hypnosis.

What conditions can benefit from hypnosis?

Besides minor surgery, hypnosis has been used to successfully treat anxiety, obesity, stress, nail biting, smoking addiction, chronic pain, panic attacks, and gastrointestinal disorders. Clinical hypnosis has been remarkably effective in cases of irritable bowel syndrome, with an estimated 75 to 85 percent remission rate.

Why isn’t hypnosis used more in the United States? 

Some experts say a lack of consistency with hypnosis is a concern. “It’s not used routinely because it’s not effective in everyone and it takes awhile,” says Dr. Mark Warner, president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, as quoted by the Associated Press. Also, there’s no medical or scientific explanation on how it works. But we don’t understand acupuncture either!

Bottom Line: Hypnosis is becoming part of the medical doctors technique to perform surgery without anesthesia. Look for a greater role of hypnosis in the doctor’s office and in the operating room.

* Excerpted from The Week, http://theweek.com/article/index/217809/can-hypnosis-replace-anesthesia