Epididymitis

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Blood in semen

Male reproductive anatomy

Male reproductive system

Pathway of sperm

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.

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Epididymitis usually gets better with antibiotic treatment. There usually is no reduction in sexual or reproductive abilities. However, the condition may 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 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.

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.

Review Date: 08/13/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).