Epididymitis is an inflammation of the epididymis, the part connecting the testicles to the vas deferens. The disease is common in men aged 18-50, and can affect male reproductive function because this is the reproductive age.
Acute epididymitis is characterized by pain and swelling in the epididymal area for several days.
Chronic epididymitis is characterized by pain and inflammation of the epididymis that lasts more than 6 weeks. Sometimes, epididymitis spreads to surrounding tissues such as the testicles, causing a combined condition of epididymitis and orchitis.
Orchitis causes many men to lose their manhood (photo source: Viet Duc Hospital).
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quang, Director of the Andrology Center, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, President of the Vietnam Association of Gender Medicine: The cause of epididymitis - orchitis is not clearly known.
However, many authors believe that it is due to the reflux of infected urine from the prostatic urethra through the vas deferens into the epididymis.
Some diseases such as urethral stricture, benign prostatic hyperplasia... increase the possibility of reflux of infected urine into the vas deferens system.
Epididymitis - orchitis can occur in men who exercise heavily while holding urine, with a full bladder.
In addition, urethral instrumentation is also a high risk factor for epididymitis.
On the other hand, epididymitis-orchitis is often associated with urethritis and prostatitis. Nowadays, some men have the habit of playing with their penis by inserting cotton swabs or hair into the urethra, which can cause scratches on the urethral mucosa, urethritis..., which can result in epididymitis-orchitis.
In addition, epididymitis-orchitis can be caused by infection spreading from the bloodstream. Some of the bacteria that can cause the disease are escherichia coli, neisseria meningitidis, tuberculosis bacteria... Orchitis can be caused by viruses (for example, mumps virus).
According to doctors, complications of epididymitis such as abscess or pus in the scrotum can rupture and leak through the skin. Testicular infarction due to edema restricts blood flow.
Secondary infertility. Testicular atrophy, hypogonadism. Epididymitis can lead to infertility, reduced sperm quality and semen changes.
Decreased sperm count and quality can be directly due to infection or indirectly due to environmental factors (semen). If infection is not treated properly, it can lead to blockage of the vas deferens.
Although the testicles can produce sperm, due to blockage, the sperm cannot exit. As a result, there is no sperm in the semen.
Infection destroys the body's immune barrier to sperm (blood-testicular barrier). Sperm can be considered a foreign object to the body.
Normally, the body has an immune barrier to prevent sperm from coming into contact with the body's immune system. Therefore, sperm can survive in the male body.
When the body's immune barrier system against sperm is damaged, the sperm produced by the male body's immune system creates anti-sperm antibodies and destroys its own sperm.
Infection causes many complications, including infertility, so when men have epididymitis - orchitis, they need to see a doctor and get treatment promptly to avoid unfortunate events.
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