Is this your symptom?
- Pain or tenderness in the scrotum or testicle
Some Basics...
- Pain in the scrotum is not normal.
- All men with severe pain, or constant pain lasting more than one hour, should see a doctor right away.
- Men with scrotal pain that comes and goes for more than a day should also see a doctor for an exam.
Cause
There are many things that can cause pain in the scrotal area or testicle.
- Epididymitis
- Hydrocele
- Inguinal hernia
- Lymph node in the groin
- Orchitis
- Varicocele
Two serious causes of scrotal pain are torsion and strangulated inguinal hernia .
- Torsion of testis: if a testicle (testis) turns or twists inside the scrotal sac, it can twist the blood vessels that are joined to it. This can cut off the blood supply to the testicle. This is called torsion of the testis (or testicle). The main symptoms are pain and swelling of a testicle. This is a medical emergency. If this is not fixed quickly, it can cause the testicle to die.
- Strangulated inguinal hernia: an inguinal hernia is a small piece of bowel (gut) that pushes up through a weak spot in the muscles in the groin area. It feels like a soft bulge in the groin that pops in and out. A strangulated inguinal hernia means the hernia gets stuck, and its blood supply is cut off. This can cause severe belly and groin pain. This is a medical emergency. If it is not fixed quickly, it can cause the trapped area of bowel to die.
Pain Scale
- None: no pain. Pain score is 0 on a scale of 0 to 10.
- Mild: the pain does not keep you from work, school, or other normal activities. Pain score is 1-3 on a scale of 0 to 10.
- Moderate: the pain keeps you from working or going to school. It wakes you up from sleep. Pain score is 4-7 on a scale of 0 to 10.
- Severe: the pain is very bad. It may be worse than any pain you have had before. It keeps you from doing any normal activities. Pain score is 8-10 on a scale of 0 to 10.
When to Call for Testicle pain
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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Go to ER Now
- Severe pain in scrotum or testicle
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Constant pain in scrotum or testicle lasts more than 1 hour
- Swollen scrotum
- Vomiting
- Fever or chills; feeling hot or shivery
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- Scrotal pains come and go, and last more than 24 hours
- Blood in urine
- Blood in semen
- Pain or burning when passing urine
- Looks like a boil, infected sore, or other infected rash
- 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
- Mild scrotal pain
- Scrotal pains come and go, and last less than 24 hours
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.
