Orchitis

Diagnosis

Your healthcare professional starts with your medical history and a physical exam. The exam checks for enlarged lymph nodes in your groin and an enlarged testicle on the affected side. You also might have a rectal exam to check for prostate enlargement or tenderness.

Tests might include:

• STI screen. If you have discharge from your urethra, your health professional puts a narrow swab into the end of your penis to get a sample of the discharge. The sample goes to a lab to be checked for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Some STI screens are done with a urine test.
• Urine test. A sample of your urine goes to a lab for study. The test can rule out bacterial infection.
• Ultrasound. This imaging test is to find the cause of testicular pain. Ultrasound with color Doppler can show if the blood flow to your testicles is lower than it should be. This could mean you have torsion. A higher than usual blood flow helps confirm the diagnosis of orchitis.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause of orchitis.

Treating bacterial orchitis

Antibiotics treat bacterial orchitis and epididymo-orchitis. If the cause of the bacterial infection is an STI, your sexual partner also needs treatment.

Take all the antibiotics your healthcare professional prescribes, even if your symptoms ease sooner. This is to make sure that the infection is gone.

Your scrotum may be tender for several weeks or months after treatment. Rest, support the scrotum with an athletic strap, apply cold packs and take medicine to help relieve pain.

Treating viral orchitis

Treatment aims to ease symptoms. You might:

• Take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve). Be sure to talk with your healthcare professional before taking these medicines if you take blood thinners or have kidney disease.
• Rest in bed with your scrotum raised.
• Use cold packs.

Most people with orchitis start to feel better in 3 to 10 days. But it can take a few weeks for the scrotum to stop being tender. Sometimes, the pain and swelling can last for several months.

Lifestyle and home remedies

To ease discomfort:

• Rest in bed.
• Lie down so that your scrotum is raised.
• Put cold packs on your scrotum.
• Don't lift heavy objects.

Preparing for your appointment

You might be sent to a specialist in urinary issues, called a urologist. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

Make a list of:

• Your symptoms and when they began.
• Your childhood illnesses and vaccines. Include recent illnesses, especially STIs or mumps.
• All medicines, vitamins or other supplements you take, including doses.
• Questions to ask your healthcare team.

For orchitis, questions might include:

• What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
• What are other possible causes?
• What tests do I need?
• What treatments are there?
• How long will it take before I start to feel better?
• Will this condition affect whether I can have children?
• Do I need to restrict my sexual activity?

Be sure to ask all the questions you have.

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare professional is likely to ask you questions, including:

• How bad are your symptoms?
• What treatments have you tried?
• What, if anything, seems to ease your symptoms?
• What, if anything, appears to make your symptoms worse?
• Do you practice safer sex? How many partners do you have? Do you use a condom?