Epididymitis is a common intra-scrotal infectious disease predominantly affecting young and middle-aged men, usually causing scrotal pain and sometimes groin pain. The duration of pain varies; acute cases may resolve in about a week with treatment, while chronic cases can persist for 2 to 4 weeks. Effective treatment focuses on bacterial culture, anti-inflammatory medications, and rest, with surgical intervention needed for recurrent cases or cysts.

1. How Long Will
Epididymitis
Causing Groin
Pain Last?
Wuhan Dr.Lee's TCM Clinic

2. Epididymitis is the most common intra-scrotal
Infectious disease. It is more common in
young and middle-aged men. The symptoms
of epididymitis vary greatly, and many men
with the disease respond with pain and
swelling of the affected scrotum with
significant pressure pain. Some patients may
also experience groin pain. How long the pain
lasts is related to the severity of the disease
and whether patients intervene in the condition
or not on time.

3. Why does epididymitis cause groin
pain? How long does it usually last?

4. Pain is a common clinical symptom of
epididymitis. Some of the pain is long and
persistent, while most patients have
paroxysmal pain, mainly dull. It is not always
painful. Generally, the pain will gradually
disappear with proper and timely medication.

5. When the body's immune function decreases,
various pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli,
Staphylococcus, trachoma Chlamydia, etc.,
can take advantage of the opportunity to enter
the human urethra or vas deferens, thus
causing inflammation. Some patients also
have pain because of scrotal Injury.
Hematomas in the scrotum, epididymis, and
testicles can occur after trauma, but this is not
common.

6. In addition, medical operations such as
intraurethral instrumentation, long-term
application of catheters, and post-
prostatectomy can lead to the development of
the disease. Such diseases form bacterial foci,
and the bacteria will keep reaching the
epididymis or testicles via the lymphatic
system, leading to painful phenomena.

7. Epididymitis can cause groin pain, which is
discrete pain. Pain mainly occurs in patients with
acute epididymitis. The onset of acute epididymitis
is sudden. Patients with epididymitis will have
painful reactions involving the adjacent organs due
to testicular enlargement, pain, nerve
compression, or inflammatory irritation. This pain
will spread to the ipsilateral groin, lower back, and
inner thighs.

8. Most patients have unilateral onset of the disease;
bilateral onset is rare. And if bilateral, it can lead to
the bilateral groin and lower abdominal pain. Some
patients may experience general malaise or high
fever. Anti-inflammatory treatment takes about half
a month, and if the medication is administered as
soon as possible, the pain will disappear in about a
week.

9. Chronic epididymitis is more common than acute
epididymitis. Some patients have acute episodes
that are not cured and become chronic. In contrast,
most patients do not have acute episodes but have
chronic prostate inflammation and may have
persistent vague scrotal pain and swelling. The
pain may radiate to the lower abdomen and the
inner side of the ipsilateral thigh. With intervention,
the pain will gradually disappear after 2 to 4
weeks.

10. When groin pain occurs, the patient's epididymitis
becomes severe. It is crucial to intervene and treat
it as soon as possible.

11. Epididymitis treatment must be based on bacterial
culture and drug sensitivity test, and appropriate
drugs must be selected to promote rapid
absorption and elimination of inflammatory
masses. Anti-inflammatory treatment can be added
with intravenous hormone drip to relieve the
symptoms as soon as possible. If epididymitis
recurs repeatedly, it is easy to form epididymal
cysts and can only be treated by surgery if a man
wants to be completely cured.

12. To relieve pain, patients can take oral pain
medication or intramuscular injection, which can
have a pain-relieving effect. If the pain relief effect
is not good enough, lidocaine plus dexamethasone
can be used for spermatic cord closure treatment,
relieving the pain quickly.

13. Patients can also take the traditional Chinese
medicine Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill, which
have the main effect of moving Qi and relieving
pain, being diuretic and drenching. This medicine
effectively treats prostatitis and other urinary
system conditions such as epididymitis, cystitis,
urinary tract infections, etc.

14. For painful epididymitis, it is important to control
the infection as soon as possible. Pay more
attention to rest, lie down as much as possible,
elevate the scrotum and testicles, and stop
physical activities and sexual life. In the early
stage, cold packs can be used to greatly relieve
discomfort.

15. If you have questions about your condition and treatment, contact
our experts. Most questions are answered in 24 hours.
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