How to Distinguish Orchitis and Epididymitis?

For males, epididymitis and orchitis are reproductive diseases with a relatively high incidence. Although both are genital diseases, there are pretty different. Patients must have early detection and treatment while avoiding delaying the disease examination and treatment. Which one is more serious between epididymitis and orchitis? What is the difference between epididymitis and orchitis?

Orchitis and epididymitis are both severe male diseases. Both of them are inflammatory and infectious diseases of the urogenital system. But orchitis is severer. The main reason is that orchitis can affect sperm quality, causing a low survival rate of the sperm and a high deformity rate, thereby seriously reducing male fertility.

What are the specific differences between orchitis and epididymitis in symptoms, causes, and treatment?

1. Symptoms

The testicles are where sperm are produced. Orchitis occurs because epididymitis inflammation is not received treatment in time, and it spreads directly to the testicles and causes infection. The orchitis symptoms are mainly manifested in the uncomfortable symptoms of testicular pain and swelling. The pain turns to the scrotum, the basal area of the thigh, and the groin as the disease worsens. In severe orchitis, the patients even lose fertility.

The epididymis is the place where sperm survives. Epididymitis can cause sudden pain in the scrotum, swelling of the epididymis, pain when touched, and epididymal nodules. Epididymitis may cause urethritis, prostatitis, seminal vesiculitis, and other inflammations, manifested as urethral tingling, varying degrees of urgency and frequency, and urination.

2. Causes

Bacteria and viruses usually cause orchitis. Mumps orchitis caused by viral infection is the most common infection that is mainly blood-borne. Bacterial infections of the testes are rare because they are more resistant to bacterial infections. But bacterial orchitis is primarily caused by secondary infection after epididymitis.

Epididymitis is usually caused by bacteria, mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc. The infection route is mainly the retrograde infection from the reproductive tract. It is mostly caused by pathogenic bacteria entering the epididymis through the vas deferens when insufficient body's resistance.

3. Treatments

Patients with orchitis should rest in bed, hold up the scrotum, and apply a local hot compress. As the scrotal skin is swollen, patients should use 50% magnesium sulfate solution for hot and moisturized compress to help the inflammation subside. When the pain is severe and the painkillers are ineffective, the spermatic cord can be closed on the affected side. Patients can apply for medicines through the whole body by broad-spectrum antibiotics or antibiotics sensitive to Gram-negative bacteria, such as penicillin, gentamicin, and various cephalosporins.

To reduce symptoms, patients with epdidymitis should rest in bed and support the scrotum with a scrotal pad or a homemade soft pad. Painkillers can be used for severe pain, and local hyperthermia can relieve symptoms and promote inflammation subsidence. Experts advise patients to use an ice pack for a local cold compress in the early stage. Drugs sensitive to bacteria should be selected, usually one to two weeks after intravenous administration. Patients can also take two to four weeks of oral antibiotics to prevent chronic inflammation.

Both orchitis and epididymitis are diseases of the male genitourinary system. If men do not pay attention to them in their daily lives, suffering from either of these diseases will negatively impact sperm quality and reproductive performance.

Studies have shown that herbal medicines have a good effect on preventing and treating male diseases such as orchitis and epididymitis. When male patients have inflammation in the genitourinary system, they can choose Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill. The medicine is formulated with herbs that are effective in anti-inflammation and anti-bacteria. It can prevent the deterioration of the disease and play an excellent auxiliary role for patients in treatment.

Males, mainly middle-aged and older people, should pay attention to identifying the differences between the two male diseases of epididymitis and orchitis, actively prevent them, and seek professional treatment when inflammation occurs so that they can recover quickly.role for patients in the process of treatment.

Males, especially middle-aged and elderly people, should pay attention to identifying the differences between the two male diseases of epididymitis and orchitis, actively prevent them, and seek professional treatment when inflammation occurs to recover quickly.