Hello steemians. Feels good to be back after a long break. So today, I’ll be sharing with us what is a part 2 of a health issue I once treated titled: WOMEN AND THEIR PROBLEMS. That article focused on the health and biological problems faced by all women at different points in their lives. You can read it up here. So my dear readers, I bring to you Male Sex Conditions.

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The sex glands in the human male are located in the scrotum, a tough fibrous bag suspended from the ground. Each gland or testicle is composed of myriads of tiny coiled tubes in which the sperm cells are produced. One of the sperm cells fertilizes the female ovum or egg cell at the moment of conception.

_{A descriptive diagram of the human male reproductive system by Baresh25 via Wikimedia commons}

The testes or testicles also produce that important male hormone known as testosterone, the chemical that brings about such striking changes in the male during adolescence. When a boy suddenly begins to mature under the influence of testosterone, his bones lengthen and his beard begins to grow. Hair appears on his body, and he develops strong muscles and a deep voice. The testes must constantly produce testosterone throughout a man’s life, otherwise he will soon lose his normal male vitality.

Tumours and swellings often occur in the male sex organs. Some are serious, others are not. But a careful physical examination should always be made, not only of the tumor itself, but of the entire body. Fortunately, in most cases, no malignancy is found. But cancers, when present, usually grow fast and spread rapidly. Treatment must be carried out without delay once a tumor gains a foothold, the chances of making a complete recovery may be slim indeed. The following are some of the more common tumours or swellings in the male:

UNDESCENDED TESTES or CRYPTORCHIDISM

While this sounds like a disease that stemed from too much love for crypto, lol, it isn’t. This condition is one in which one or both testes may have remained in the abdomen, instead of coming down into the scrotum at birth. During the first few weeks or months they may seem to disappear on some days and be present on others. This is not abnormal. But if they do not come down at all and the scrotum remains empty, a course of special hormone injections should be given. Sometimes the testicle will come down into the scrotum as soon as a boy reaches puberty. If this does not occur, surgery is advisable, mainly because the undescended testicle may later turn malignant.

TORSION or TWISTING

In most boys, the testicles become firmly fixed to the scrotal wall. However, if this does not occur, the testicle may become twisted, causing severe strangulation and swelling in the testes and cord. The patient complains of sudden, severe pain, similar to that of a strangulated inguinal hernia. Surgery should be carried out without delay, preferably within the first hour or two after the twisting has occurred. The testes on the other side, should be attached to the scrotal wall to prevent recurrence.

MALE WEAKNESS

Most cases of sexual impotence are due to a lack of normal sexual desire, rather than to any deficiency of hormones. Emotional factors, including anxiety and worry, may bring on feelings of guilt and weakness, and this may interfere with normal male sex life. It may be wise to talk this over with the family physician or perhaps a psychiatrist.

HYDROCELE

This is one of most common forms of scrotal tumours or swellings. It is not malignant. In this condition a thin watery fluid accumulates within the scrotum, usually after some injury. When small, there is no discomfort, but as the hydrocele continues to enlarge, it may cause great inconvenience. There is no pain or tenderness. The diagnosis is usually made by holding a flashlight behind the swelling, preferably in a dark room. If the light passes through the skin and the fluid is clearly seen on the other side, the swelling is probably due to a hydrocele. There may also be a hernia, with perhaps a loop of bowel down in the sac. One simple treatment is to draw off the excess fluid with a large needle and syringe. When very large, the hydrocele should be removed by surgery.

MUMPS ORCHITIS

This is really a complication following the onset of mumps in the neck and face. When the testes are involved, there is pain and tenderness in the scrotum and considerable swelling. The patient may also complain of fever, nausea, and vomiting. Keep him in bed and completely at rest. Use a towel or some other means to support the scrotum, and apply hot and cold applications for 20 minutes three times a day until the swelling subsides.

EPIDIDYMITIS

Or inflammation of the epididymis, almost always arises from some urinary infection involving the bladder, prostate, or some near-by organ. Usually there is a severe pain in the involved testicle and also in the vas deferens, or tube leading to the prostate gland. In some cases, the original infection may have spread from other areas of the body, such as the nose, throat, or bronchial tubes. During the acute stage there is severe pain, swelling, tenderness in the involved area, with reddening of the scrotum, and also chills and fever.

What to do: Hot and cold compress should be used several times a day. Some may prefer an ice bag for relief of pain and tenderness. Epididymis can usually be controlled by penicillin, 600,000 units a day being the prescribed dose. Terramycin, 250mg four times a day by mouth, may also be used. A scrotal suspensory will provide comfort, especially when the patient is up and about.

VARICOCELE

Swellings or varicosities often occur in the veins of the spermatic cord, and may possibly be due to some obstruction in the vein higher up. The condition tends to come on suddenly and is often accompanied by pain in the scrotum radiating to the groin and down the inner side of the thigh. The dilated tortoise veins feel like “a bag of worms.” During the acute stage, the patient rest in bed, elevate the scrotum on an adhesive bridge or towel, and apply cold compress. Later a scrotal suspensory should be worn to relieve pain and discomfort. Cold baths taken daily are advised for this condition. In more severe cases, surgery may be needed, but medical treatment should always be tried first.

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SPERMATOCELE

Is a cyst or swelling in the upper pole of the epididymis due to the presence of large quantities of sperm cells. Surgery is usually recommended when the cyst is large and causing inconvenience.

CHANGE OF LIFE

Unlike women, most men never experience any actual change in middle life. But a few may do so after some serious infection or illness, particularly if the testes are involved. They should be sure to take sufficient exercise, a well-balanced diet, and adequate periods of rest and sleep, and refrain from the use of alcohol.

MALE STERILITY

Or failure to fertilize the ovum or female egg cells, may be due to several causes. In some cases the trouble is due to an absence or atrophy of the testes, or perhaps by some obstruction in the male genital organs. Infections involving the genital organs may result in the production of unhealthy or even dead sperm cells. In such cases, special tests may locate the seat of the trouble, which may be treated surgically.

In cases of male sterility some doctors recommend 50mg of vitamin E taken three times a day. All deficiency states should be corrected by a sensible diet to which vitamins are added.

HERNIA

Before birth the testicles are formed within the body close to the kidneys. As the foetus grows, these glands move down to the groin and pass onto the scrotum, carrying with them the spermatic cord, along with blood-vessels and nerves. Failure to descend is known as undescended testicles. Often the channel through which the testes come down fails to close, so that loops of bowel or omentum may find their way into the scrotum on one or both sides. This is known as an indirect inguinal hernia. Weakness in the abdominal wall may produce a similar result, known as a direct inguinal hernia. Both conditions may occur in the male. A femoral hernia is usually more common in the ladies. Some people try to get relief by wearing a truss, but in most cases the best solution to any hernia is surgery.

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STRANGULATED or INGUINAL HERNIA

Sometimes a portion of the bowel becomes caught down in a hernial sac, resulting in a strangulated hernia. This can be very serious, and may lead to complete intestinal obstruction and even severe peritonitis. Unless treated without delay, gangrene may eventually set in and the bowel rupture, so that the patient may go into severe sick and die.

Such a condition calls for immediate attention. If there is marked swelling in the groin and the tissues feel hot and tender, keep the patient quiet and give him nothing by mouth except occasional sips of water. Call your doctor or take the patient immediately to the hospital. Do not apply any heat to the area, and avoid any pressure over the swollen area. An ice bag may help to control the pain. Be sure to seek expert medical help without delay. The sooner the strangulation is relieved by surgery, the better the patients chances of making a complete recovery.

TESTICULAR TUMOURS

They are likely to occur in early adult life. Most of them are highly malignant. Within a few weeks they usually spread to the lymph nodes of the pelvis and lower abdomen. The patient feels no pain and might overlook the condition, except for swelling of the testes following some minor injury. Usually there is little discomfort, except for a firm rubbery mass on the scrotum. Such a condition must always be carefully differentiated from epididymitis and hydrocele. Any mass within the testicle itself should always be considered malignant until it has been proved otherwise by operation. Surgery is the best treatment. The involved testicle should be completely removed, and the patient should be given a full course of X-ray radiation to all the pelvic organs.

CANCER OF THE TESTICLE

Is fortunately not very common. However, any hard, painless mass in the scrotum lasting more than a few days should be completely removed by surgery. Such growths are more common in patients with an undescended testicle. Some of these malignant tumors actually produce female hormones, causing certain feminizing effects on various parts of the body.

Scrotal swellings may also occur from other conditions such as filariasis or elephantiasis. Syphilis in the late stages may occasionally involve the scrotal organs. Cancer may also occur in the head of the penis, although this occurs far less frequently in those who have been circumcised. Any sore on the genital organs, or elsewhere, which fails to heal within a few days, should be thoroughly investigated to rule out the presence of syphilis, tuberculosis, and cancer.

THANKS FOR READING

REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READ:

_{MAYO CLINIC: Undescended testicle - Overview}

_{MAYO CLINIC: Male infertility - Overview}

_{HEALTHLINE: Epididymitis - Signs, Diagnosis and treatment}

_{HEALTHLINE: Hydrocele - symptoms, causes and treatment}

_{WEBMD: Understanding Hernia}

_{MAYO CLINIC: Inguinal hernia - Symptoms, causes}

_{PHYSIOPEDIA: Testicular cancer}

_{DRUGS.COM: Overview of testicular torsion}