Is this your symptom?
- Injury to the male genital area (scrotum or penis)
Types of Genital Injuries in Males
- The penis and scrotum are at risk for injuries. All the common skin injuries can occur.
- Cut. Minor cuts or scrapes heal quickly.
- Bruise. Minor bruises heal quickly.
- Penetrating Injuries (serious). Puncture injures, whether due to a fall or impact with a sharp object, will need checked at the ER.
- Zipper Injury. The foreskin or skin on the penis can get caught on a zipper. You may want a doctor to help with removal.
Blunt Injuries
- Urethral Injury (serious). The urethra passes through the entire penis. It can be injured by a kick to the groin or a straddle injury. Also, from putting objects into the urethra through the opening at the tip of the penis. The urethra can be bruised or torn. The main symptoms are bloody urine and trouble passing urine.
- Painful Scrotum. A blow to the testicle(s), such as during sports or by being kicked, will often cause severe pain. If there was no damage, the pain should go away within 30 minutes. If it persists, you need to be examined.
- Swollen Scrotum (serious). Any scrotal swelling from an injury needs to be examined. It may be minor, but you need to rule out any other problems. With a severe blow, the testis can burst (rupture).
- Ruptured Testicle (serious). A direct blow to the scrotum can also cause a tear of the capsule around the testicle. To save the testicle, this needs emergency surgery. The main symptoms are severe pain and a swollen scrotum.
- Hematoma (Blood Clot) of Scrotum. Blunt trauma can cause a large blood clot to form inside the scrotum. Sometimes, it needs to be drained. This can happen from being hit by a ball or a kick. The main symptoms are severe pain and a swollen scrotum.
Straddle Injuries
- An injury to the groin from falling on an object that is being straddled.
- Examples are the crossbar of a bike or a fence.
- The urethra can be bruised or torn. The urethra allows urine to pass from the bladder to outside the body.
- A symptom of a damaged urethra is blood at the penis opening. Other symptoms are bloody urine, trouble starting the stream or pain when passing urine.
Other Injuries
- Burns or Scalds. Cool the area right away with cold running water and go to ER. Burns or scalds to the genitals may need care by a specialist.
- Fractured Penis (serious) can occur during rough sexual activity or masturbation. You may hear a snap or pop sound and the penis is painful and swollen right away; there is loss of the erection. The penis will look misshapen and bruised. This is an emergency and needs surgery.
- Constricting Objects such as penile rings can get stuck and cause a persistent erection and increasing swelling of the penis. Go to the ER to get the ring removed to prevent serious and permanent damage to the penis.
When to Call for Penis injury
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
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Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
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Self Care at Home
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Call 911 Now
- Major bleeding that can't be stopped
- Passed out (fainted) or too weak to stand
- You think you have a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Skin is split open or gaping and may need stitches
- A puncture injury, due to an impact or fall on a sharp object
- Skin bleeding that won't stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure
- Skin of penis or scrotum caught in zipper
- A snapping or popping noise during sex and the penis is now swollen, misshapen and painful
- Severe pain
- A burn or scald to the penis or scrotum
- You think you have a serious injury
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Skin is cut and No past tetanus shots
- Swollen or painful scrotum
- Pain or trouble passing urine
- Blood in urine, semen or at the penis opening
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Genital pain or swelling lasts more than 1-2 days
- Dirty cut or hard to clean and no tetanus shot for more than 5 years
- Clean cut and no tetanus shot for more than 10 years
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- You have other questions or concerns
Self Care at Home
- Minor genital injury
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
