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There are certainly aspects of the human body that are embarrassing to talk about, even with a medical professional, but listen. Take it from me, a woman, who is forced to lay back and take it in one way or another at least a couple of times a year – some things are worth the awkward discomfort if it means you’re not going to die an early death.
Not to be alarmist or anything.
Most guys will experience some kind of pain in their groin – ball pain, if you will – at some point. But what does it mean?
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Well, if you’ve recently been kicked in the nards, the answer to that question is pretty obvious. Blunt trauma causes 85% of testicular injuries, but there’s usually nothing medical that needs to be done. According to Gregory Diorio, a urologist at DMC Harper University Hospital, the pain usually resolves on its own.
“Generally, if after the injury the pain resolves and the testicles feel normal it is unlikely there is a serious injury.”
Doctors do recommend you come in if the pain lingers, becomes more severe, or your balls start to look different. Any of those could mean you’ve had a rupture, fracture, contusion, or dislocation – because those could lead to testicular torsion, and you definitely don’t want that.
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Testicular torsion is an emergency, requires surgery, and could result in the loss of your testicle and/or long-term fertility problems.
It can also occur spontaneously when you’re not doing anything at all, and some doctors believe the trait could be genetic.
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Inflamed Epididymis could also cause pain in the scrotum. The epididymus is a coiled tube at the back of the testicle where semen is stored and carried. If it becomes inflamed due to an STI, UTI, or other infection you could experience swelling, redness, heat, painful urination, discharge, and a bunch of worse stuff that’s sure to have you running for a doctor’s appointment.
They’ll treat it with antibiotics, and you definitely don’t want to leave it untreated.
Infections of all types can lead to fluid collection in the testicles, causing swelling, discomfort, and pain, but it usually resolves on its own and isn’t terribly bothersome to patients.
Testicular veins can also become swollen, sort of like varicose veins, and feel like worms or spaghetti under the skin. Most come and go without you noticing, but if you do experience a dull, achy pain, they might be the cause.
The biggest fear, of course, is whether or not your pain could be testicular cancer. If your pain is accompanied by a mass or other abnormality, you’ll definitely want to see a doctor. You could also experience backaches and abdominal pain.
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It is the most common form of cancer in men between the ages of 15 and 35, so don’t ignore lumps or other changes – take them seriously, and talk to a doctor.
Like everything else with these weird bodies of ours, it could be nothing – sometimes, Diorio says, it happens for no reason at all.
“There are muscular fibers within the cord that hold the testicles like a backache or muscle ache, occasionally men can have intermittent pain in their testicles that is benign and self-limiting.
All men should perform self-exams every month regardless if they have pain or not and any change or concern should be reported to a medical professional.”
Now you know everything you were too afraid to ask (or Google) about the pain between your legs.
Maybe next time we’ll cover the pain in your butt (other than your boss, your wife, you kids, et al)!
