Epididymitis
The epididymis (tube) lies on top of the testicle (testis) and is a storage place for sperm cells. Epididymitis infects the epididymis. Your symptoms may include pain when urinating, fever and a painful and swollen scrotum. This page tells you what causes the infection and what you can do about it.
Cause
Epididymitis is usually caused by a bladder infection or a sexually transmitted disease (STI), such as chlamydia. If you use a condom during sexual contact you are less likely to get epididymitis.
Symptoms
If you have epididymitis you may suffer from these symptoms:
- Severe pain in the scrotum, which gets worse over the course of hours to days
- Swollen and painful epididymis
- Red scrotum
- Discharge from the urethra
- Fever
- Pain when urinating and/or frequent small bouts of urination
Make an appointment
If you have symptoms associated with epididymitis, make an appointment at GGD Amsterdam using the button below.
Cure
You must treat epididymitis. Without treatment it can damage the sex organs and decrease fertility. Treatment usually consists of a course of various antibiotics. The effectiveness of the medication will be assessed. If the infection is chronic you may need surgery. If the infection is caused by an STI your sexual partners will also need to be treated.
What I can do
You must get the infection treated. You can also wear tight pants to reduce swelling. Or you can get supportive underwear (pictured right) from the pharmacy. Painkillers and ice packs on the scrotum can ease the pain.