Testicular injury refers to damage to a male’s testicle caused due to injury. Damages to the testicle and scrotum are often caused by injuries from blunt forces; however, sharp objects can also easily injure these parts. Sports injuries are the most common causes of testicular injury in men.
A person with a testicular injury may experience testicular pain or discomfort, testicular swelling, redness, tenderness of the testicle, lacerations or abrasions to the scrotum and bruises to the testicular.
Treatment options for testicular injuries may include rest, wound care, scrotal support, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for pain, antibiotics and surgery in severe cases.
Disclaimer: the material posted on this blog on testicular injury and associated causes, signs, symptoms, complications and treatment is for learning purposes only. To learn to recognize and manage severe injuries via blunt force or object enrol in St Mark James first aid and CPR training.
Causes
Causes of testicular injury may include:
- Altercations
- Automobile accidents
- Animal bites
- Sports activities such as martial arts, wrestling, gymnastics and biking
- Occupational injury
Testicular injury symptoms
Signs and symptoms of testicular injury may include:
- Testicular pain and discomfort
- Testicular swelling
- Testicular bruising
- Testicular tenderness
- Scrotum pain
- Scrotum bruising
- Scrotum swelling
- Groin pain
- Abrasions to the person’s scrotum
- Lacerations to the person’s scrotum
- Bruises to the scrotum
- Scrotal redness
- Nausea and vomiting
Additional signs and symptoms of testicular injury include:
- Swelling of the penis
- Penis pain
- Hematuria – blood in the urine or pink/red urine
- Lower abdominal pain – right or left
Treatment
Treatment for testicular injury may include the following:
- Bed rest
- Scrotal support – keeping the scrotum elevated to reduce movement
- Cold compresses – for 20 minutes, 2-3 times a day
- Reduced activity
- Rinsing the wound
- Wound cleansing
- Removing foreign bodies in the wound or debris material
- Antibiotics
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for pain
- Surgery to repair damaged tissue
- Tetanus immunization
Skin wound
For a mild testicular skin wound such as a small cut or abrasion, follow these home treatment steps:
- Apply direct pressure on the wound using a sterile gauze or clean cloth to control bleeding. Continue applying pressure for 10minutes
- Cleanse the wound using a mild soap and water. You can position the area of the wound under running water to effectively remove dirt and debris
- Gently dab the wound using hydrogen peroxide to remove debris and clotted blood. Avoid re-injuring the wound or scrubbing it
- Apply topical antibiotic ointment on the wound and a dry dressing
- Use a sterile gauze or elastic bandage. Make sure the wound is kept clean and dry
- A butterfly bandage can be used to cover a small cut
When to seek medical attention
Seek immediate medical attention if any of the problems occur along with the testicular injury:
- Hematuria – blood in the urine
- Difficulty urinating
- Decreased urinary frequency
- Inability to urinate
- Pain while urinating
- Inguinal lymphadenopathy – swollen glands in the groin
- Fever of 101 degrees F or above
- Worsening swelling of the groin
- Worsening testicular swelling
- Worsening testicular tenderness
- Worsening swelling and redness of the scrotum
- Worsening swelling and redness of the skin around the scrotum
Complications
Complications associated with testicular injury include:
- Loss of the testicle
- Cellulitis of the scrotum
- Scrotal skin abscess
- Fournier gangrene
Learn More
To learn more about testicular injuries and other minor and major emergencies sign up for first aid and CPR training with St Mark James.
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Thank you for this information. I am currently writing a post about how testicular trauma can lead to infertility. I have learned a lot from this. Thank you!