Epididymitis Health Article

Treatment

Your health care provider will prescribe medications to treat the infection. Sexually-transmitted infections require specific antibiotics. Your sexual partners should also be treated. You may need pain medications and anti-inflammatory medications.

The treatment for epididymitis caused by the medication amiodarone is a lower dose or change in the medication.

Bed rest, while elevating the scrotum and applying ice packs to the area, is recommended. It is very important to have a follow-up visit with your health care provider to find out whether the infection has gone away completely.

Expectations (prognosis)

Epididymitis usually gets better with antibiotic treatment. There usually is no reduction in sexual or reproductive abilities. However, it is common for the condition to return.

If not treated, or in some other cases, the condition can become long-term (chronic). In chronic cases, there is usually no swelling, but there is pain.

Complications

Complications include:

• Abscess in the scrotum
• Chronic epididymitis
• Fistula on the skin of the scrotum (cutaneous scrotal fistula)
• Death of testicular tissue due to lack of blood (testicular infarction)
• Infertility

Acute pain in the scrotum is a medical emergency. It needs to be checked out by a health care provider immediately.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of epididymitis. Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if you have severe testicle pain suddenly or after an injury.

Prevention

You can prevent complications from epididymitis by getting diagnosed early, and by treating any infections.

Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics before a surgery that increases the risk for epididymitis. Practicing safe sex (having intercourse with only one partner at a time, using condoms) may help prevent epididymitis caused by sexually-transmitted diseases.

References

Nickel JC. Inflammatory Conditions of the Male Genitourinary Tract: Prostatitis, and Related Conditions, Orchitis, Epididymitis. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 9.