Painful testicles is commonly referred to as testicular pain. The pain may vary according to the underlying condition causing it to occur. There are some cases where you will experience a sharp shooting pain or just a minor sensation of soreness or in worse cases a major discomfort. However, testicular pain can occur to either left testicle or right testicle or both of them depending on what is behind the pain.
What Causes Left Testicle Pain?
One of the most sensitive and delicate part of the man’s body is the testicles. Testicles can be affected by sicknesses or problems that can affect any other part of the body. Left testicle pain can cause disruption and anxiety since the first thing to come in mind is sexual transmitted diseases for sexually active men.
Testicular pain is very common and can affect a man at age in his lifetime. You may experience either slow and steady pain or sudden and severe one.
There is always a reason why your balls are hurting. Testicles may hurt because of many problems including infection in the scrotum, which is commonly identified after vasectomy. It has not yet been understood why this occur but studies reveals that at least 6% of men will have this problem after vasectomy.
Also, there are many other reasons why your ball may be hurting and most of them we will discuss them below. If it happens you have developed left testicle pain or the scrotum, it is important to visit your doctor. Your doctor may carry out some tests to ascertain what could be the cause of the pain.
Symptoms of left testicle pain
Pain that develop in the testicle can vary from being severe or just a minor sensation depending on the problem behind it. However, apart from testicular pain, there are other symptoms you may experience that will tell if the condition is severe or not. Other signs you have to look for include the following:
- Swelling of the affected testicle
- Pain itself is also a symptom
- Reddening of the scrotum bag of the affected testicle
- Tenderness of the affected testicle and scrotum
- In severe cases, patient may feel nausea, vomit and develop fever.
A number of causes of pain inn left testicle can be diagnosed through blood tests, urinalysis or imaging study apart from a complete physical study. Usually, the type of treatment to be used will vary depending on the underlying condition that is causing the pain.
What Causes a Swollen Testicle?
In most cases, when you realize your testicles are painful, you may realize they swell up. Even if it is only one side that is affected, the scrotum on that side may enlarge as a sign of inflammation. This is condition is usually worry-some since it is associated with a lot of discomfort.
There are numerous conditions that will result to swollen testicles in the scrotum bag. However, no matter the condition, there should be no worry as most of these conditions can be treated successfully after undergoing complete treatments, especially if they are noticed in their early stages.
Some of the causes of swollen testicles or left testicle pain involve the following:
- Infection
Infection in the body can occur anywhere and your balls are not exceptional. You can develop an infection either in the epididymis or in the testis itself. There is a problem known as orchitis and epididymitis which respectively cause swelling of the testicles that is involved with scrotal pain.
The patient may also develop a fever as part of the symptoms. Orchitis and epididymitis usually are common in men between the ages of 14 to 35, as per research findings.
These two infections are usually caused by the same bacteria that are responsible for the cause of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. If infected with a mump virus you can also be a victim of orchitis, which is a problem that results to infertility if it occurs to adult men.
- Testicular torsion
As much as testis is located in the scrotum, it receives its blood supply from an artery that comes from the abdomen. The artery runs through the groin which is part of the structure known as spermatic cord to reach the testis.
Though it is rare but a serious problem, testicular torsion involves the twisting of the testis around the spermatic cord. The twisting then prevents the blood supply to the testicle, resulting in the swelling and left testicle pain.
Testicle torsion can also occur due to an injury or because of a congenitally loose attachment of the testicle to the scrotum. Though it is a rare condition that only affects at least 1 out of 4000 men under the age of 25, testicular torsion is a very severe condition that often require immediate treatment. Usually, an emergency surgery is done to restore blood flow and prevent injury to the testicle.
- Cancer
Also, cancer of the testicle can result to swelling of the testis. In this case, swelling is usually concentrated to one side of the affected testis. Usually, a cancerous tumor may result in a noticeable lump on the testis, but can also cause a generalized swelling which is sometimes accompanied by discomfort and left testicle pain. However, testicular cancer is very rare, and it only affects males aged 15 to 35, although it can as well occurs at any age.
Research reveals that this type of cancer is very common in male of Caucasian descent as compared to other ethnicities. This type of cancer is highly treatable especially if it is detected in its early stages through a regular self-exam.
- Injury
Any injury to your testicles is usually very painful since that is a very sensitive area. Also, any type of pressure applied on the balls can be painful as well. You may injure your balls maybe while playing or riding a bicycle which is a normal injury. In case the injury is severe you may need to go and see your doctor to avoid more complications that are associated with trauma to testicles.
- Kidney stones
This is a condition where the kidneys are unable to carry their normal functions properly. The condition can extend its symptoms into the lower abdomen whereby you may feel a sharp throbbing pain coming from your balls. You can as well experience back pains and this can make someone unable to stand straight. In this case, you have to run to your doctor very fast to be examined and treated to avoid worse complications.
- Inflammation of one testicle
Your testicles can be inflamed due to different conditions. There are times when your balls can be irritated by some trauma such a vasectomy which may inflame the balls causing them to swell or become painful preventing you to anything including walking.
- Varicocele
There are veins which carry blood from the testis back to the heart and they form a network in the spermatic cord. In some cases, these veins may enlarge and fail to function properly. When this happen, blood pool or flow very slow, resulting in the backup of the blood in the testis and swelling thereafter.
This condition called varicocele often develops slowly and it is very common in young men. Due to the architecture of the testicular blood supply, the condition mostly occurs in the left side hence left testicle pain, and can be treated with a surgery or other similar procedures.
- Spermatocele
This is a condition that can also cause swelling of the testicles. Spermatocele is a benign condition that arises when a fluid-filled cyst forms in the testis or the epididymis. The condition may not result to any symptoms but it can be noticed with the swelling of the testis.
Lower Back and Testicle Pain
In other cases, your left testicle pain may be accompanied with a lower back pain as well. In this case, you may be suffering from a common condition like epididymis whereby the condition was not treated immediately and now the symptoms extend to the back.
Your chemist may give you some antibiotics which may sometimes help to reduce pain in your lower back. Going for examination can help to determine the underlying condition for the pains and corrective medication carried out.
Also, you may develop pain on lower back and testicles associated with a back injury whereby certain nerves affect the back causing you to feel pain in other areas like the sciatic nerve.
This kind of pain can be so unbearable and can make you to stay indoors all the time until the situation is controlled.
Apart from pain, you may realize your testicle area is swollen and uncomfortable and this may be described as a heavy feeling down there.
Usually, symptoms of sciatic nerve pain and irritation generally result in pains that shoot down the buttocks to the leg, with a burning or tingling sensation in your legs, and cramps.
Epididymis, prostatitis, and any other inflammation of the male genital tract may result in a number of symptoms such as, back pain, difficulty voiding, and testicular pain, in addition to many other problems. In this case, you are supposed to visit your doctor, for some examination and treatment should follow immediately so that the situation is brought under control.
Testicular Pain Home Remedy
If it happens that your testicular pain is not treated early enough, this may result in infertility, erectile dysfunction (ED) or you may end up losing your testicle. People who are affected by a sudden-and-severe left testicle pain should make an appointment with their urologist immediately without waste of time.
Pain in the testicle that is usually slow and steady may go away by itself after some few days, but you can use home remedies to get relief from the pain in the testicles. They include the following:
- Ice Pack
This type of home treatment has proven helpful when it comes to testicular pain and swelling. What you need to do is to take some ice cubes in plastic bag and then wrap them in a cloth or towel. After that, apply it to the scrotum for about 20 to 30 minutes. You can repeat this process after every 1 to 2 hours. Make sure you apply your ice pack after you wrap in a cloth to avoid damaging your skin tissues.
- Take some rests
You are not supposed to do anything if you have testicular pain, instead just take rest of 1-2 days and also reduce your physical activities until your pain goes down. By doing these, the blood circulation that is not needed will be prevented and also the gravitational pull will eventually be reduced.
- Athletic Supporter
This is a support pad used by athletes while running to avoid injuries to their balls. You can use it to support the scrotum so that you are free from testicles injury. Also, athletic supporter helps to alleviate some pain and discomfort in the testicle.
- Add Some Lift to your scrotum
Also, you can relieve yourself from the left testicle pain by lifting your scrotal bag. When you are lying down or during bed time, you may put a rolled towel under your scrotum. This will provide you with some support which will eventually decrease the testicular discomfort.
- Take a Warm Bath
You can as well soak yourself in a warm bathe tab for some time. This will not only soothe your pain and swelling but will also increase the general blood flow to the affected testicle.
How to prevent left testicle pain or both
- Drink enough water daily in addition to sufficient fluids
- Practice safe sex by putting on protection to prevent yourself sexually transmitted diseases
- Always put on a protective cup or athletic supporter during sports to avoid injuries to your testicles
- Do not always eat foods that are rich in cholesterols
- reduce repetitive stress on your nerves such as perineum and pudendal
- you can carry out regular testicular self-exams to detect tumors in early stages
- treat conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones and prostatitis
Testicle Pain Treatment
If it happens that your home remedies have failed to help your situation, you can make an appointment with your doctor for examinations and treatment thereafter. If it happens that the pain is actually related to your back injury this condition can be identified by an MRI. Regardless of your condition, it is always important to re-evaluate your situation and find out what could be the cause of all the back pains and left testicle pain or right testicle.
When to Seek Medical treatment
You should visit your doctor or call 911 immediately if:
- Your pain is so serious or sudden or radiates into the abdomen.
- Your pain is associated with nausea, vomiting, urinary frequency or urgency, and painful urination.
- There is increased swelling or bruising of your scrotum, or if the scrotum or testicle is punctured.
Treat your Symptoms
If you have left testicle pain or any other area down there, you can take over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. For a swelling, you can apply an ice pack to the scrotum.
You can prevent yourself from making your condition worse by wearing supportive under wears or avoiding strenuous activities.
Follow Up
- Visit your health care provider as soon as possible in case you have minor pain.
- Your health care provider may examine the scrotum and testicles and sometimes he/she may order blood and urine tests to check for infection.
Usually, treatment of pain in your testicles is highly successful if you know in the beginning the cause of the pain. This is why it is advisable that, not unless it is not something serious, your urologist must have a look at your condition first before medication is prescribed.