varicocles (SP) - Men's Health Message Board

albanyny · 09-07-2003, 07:04 PM

varicocles (sp) - i just wanted to ask what exactly it feels like since i think i may have one. i have the clump of tubes on one of my testicles but also have a discomfort on the edge of one of my testicles on the side. i went to my dr last week with a little aching around the testicles but she just thought it was epididymitis and gave me treatment for that. it doesnt seem to be working so far so it looks like i will be back to her friday. Thanks for anyones help.

[This message has been edited by albanyny (edited 09-07-2003).]

focus · 09-08-2003, 01:42 PM

I had a varicocele on my left testicle for about 5 years, and had it corrected by surgery about 4 years ago, so I know quite a bit about them.

A varicocele is best described as what feels like a 'bag of worms' in your scrotum, usually behind or below the testicle itself. You can feel the swollen veins, and they feel kind of twisted and lumpy. Sometimes you can see the blue color of the varicocele through the scrotal skin, or see the texture of them through the scrotal skin, but these are only with large varicoceles that you can see them like that.

A varicocele may be tender to the touch, and may cause a dull ache around the testicle that comes and goes, but is more noticeable when the testicles are hanging low such as when you are hot.

If you do a yahoo or google search on varicocele, you will find several medical web sites that describe what a varicocele is, what it looks like, diagnosis, etc. WebMD has some good info on them too.

Hope this helps. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask.

idontknow · 09-08-2003, 07:28 PM

Yea i was wondering what that was because I have that to in my left testicle is it bad.What is the big deal about it what does it do?

sdp2 · 09-09-2003, 09:45 AM

Aside from the fullness in the scrotum and the aches and pains, it can cause atrophy of the testicle and potentially fertility problems. I think fertility is an issue only if both testicles are affected.

focus · 09-09-2003, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by idontknow:
Yea i was wondering what that was because I have that to in my left testicle is it bad.What is the big deal about it what does it do?

A varicocele is quite common, affecting about 10-15% of all men. Its caused by the failure of tiny valves inside the veins that carry blood from the testicle to the body, that help keep the blood moving up towards the heart against gravity. When these valves fail, the blood backs up in the vein, putting pressure on the vein walls, and they end up twisting and swelling, causing a varicocele. Varicoceles are usually found on the left testicle, because the veins are longer on that side.

Some varicoceles are small and go unnoticed. Others are a bit larger and are noticeable, but don't cause any discomfort or fertility issues. Some are large, very noticeable, cause a dull intermittent aching pain, a dragging sensation in the scrotum against the leg, cause testicle shrinking (atrophy), or affect sperm production to the point of infertility.

The testicle shrinking is caused by the restricted blood flow of the failed vein, and therefore there is insufficient oxygen and nutrients to support the entire testicle, so it begins to shrink in size. Usually, the smaller size brings sperm production down in that testicle since there are fewer sperm producing cells. This can affect fertility. The other problem that varicocele can cause with regards to fertility is the extra blood backed up in the vein in the scrotum creates extra heat. Since sperm production is best several degrees below body temperature, this extra heat creates problems for the sperm creation process.