Pain with varicocele: description, causes and methods of elimination

Often the question is, what is it - varicocele in men? This is one of the most common diseases among the male, and it is diagnosed in 10-15% of all men. Moreover, if we take all men with infertility without exception, then varicocele is found in 40%. Separately, it is worth noting the category of representatives of the stronger sex with the so-called secondary infertility (that is, those guys from whom girls used to become pregnant, but who today cannot be parents), it turns out that 80% of these men have varicocele.

Causes

If the pain appears in the testicle, the causes of discomfort may be:

• injury;
• fluid retention near the testicle shell ;
• torsions;
• chronic forms of prostatitis;
• spermatozoa;
• infection causing inflammatory processes.

Accurately determining the cause of varicocele, namely pain, is a rather difficult problem. It can only be solved by an experienced specialist. With varicocele, pain often occurs on the left side. At first there are no severe pains.

There is a pain sensation due to the fact that the veins in the spermatic cord expand, where the arteries and vas deferens pass. According to some physiological features of the structure of the male body, ninety percent of varicose veins occur exclusively on the left. In the course of varicocele progression, a slight discomfort occurs, after which a pain sensation appears.

Symptoms of varicocele

Varicocele represents varicose veins of the inguinal zone. Symptoms of varicocele in men depend on the stage of the process :

• Stage 1 - asymptomatic course. Diagnosed by chance during a periodic medical examination
• 2nd stage - is the result of an untreated first stage. The vein is palpated by standing. Symptoms of varicocele in men at this stage are as follows: the patient complains of pain of varying degrees (from mild to acute, with a sensation of burning scrotum), impaired potency (from a decrease to a complete absence). Pain sensations appear during physical exertion, sexual intercourse, walking. The expanded veins are visually determined, which descend to the level of the lower pole and below it, which entails asymmetry in the affected area.
• Stage 3 - pain with varicocele becomes permanent, chronic, the scrotum region from the pathological process is significantly increased due to the many dilated veins. It is accompanied by impaired sperm maturation, which negatively affects the patient’s sexual life, can lead to infertility, testicular atrophy.

Types of varicocele

Classification is very important. After you understand what it is - varicocele in men, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of ailment. Depending on the side in which the pathological process is located, the following varieties of varicocele are distinguished in modern medicine:

1. Right-sided - a rather rare type of varicocele, which is usually associated with the presence of volume formations or other pathologies that are localized in the retroperitoneal space on the right side.
2. Left-sided - diagnosed in approximately 80-85% of cases. This is most likely due to the anatomical features of the male body.
3. Bilateral - this is a pathological process in which the change in veins is bilateral in nature. This type of varicocele is detected not often.

Andrologists distinguish 4 degrees of this pathology:

1. The first degree is determined after an ultrasound scan.
2. The second degree - the expansion of the plexiform plexus can be determined after palpation of the testicles of the patient, who is in a standing position.
3. The third degree - the extension of the plexus can be palpated in any position of the patient. Asymmetry of the testicles is observed, the patient increases sweating and burning sensation in the scrotum may occur .
4. The fourth degree - the venous plexus is visible even without palpation: dilated veins can hang below the level of the testicles, they become soft and can become smaller, the scrotum is pulled down, the pain with varicocele becomes severe.

Diagnostics

The disease manifests itself in the expansion of the lymph nodes of the testis and acute pain in the scrotum. There is an increase in temperature and asymmetry of the scrotum. Assigned analyzes:

1. A blood test for biochemistry.
2. Urinalysis.
3. Hormonal study.
4. A spermogram profile is compiled.
5. Physical examination.
6. Valsalva test, where an increase in the size of the spermatic cord is detected.
7. Ultrasound with varicocele examines the lymph nodes of the scrotum vessels. The method is called dopplerography of varicocele.
8. Application of magnetic resonance imaging techniques. With the help of echo signs of ultrasound, the expansion functions of the veins of the spermatic cord and the state of blood supply to the testicles are examined.

Diagnosis of varicocele :

1. Studying urine, blood, sperm, hormone tests in laboratories.
2. Dopplerography.
3. The use of ultrasound.
4. Tomography.

Be sure to meet with a urologist who helps diagnose the disease. With the confirmation of the diagnosis, the patient is prescribed surgery.

Varicocele operation

The operation of varicocele in men is performed on intimate organs. It is carried out in a microsurgical manner. For these purposes, a high-precision modern microscope is used, which allows the surgeon to examine the smallest veins and all parts of the male organ for conducting high-quality surgery in this area.

Before surgery for varicocele in men, a specialist in this field makes a highly accurate diagnosis, identifies the disease and prescribes an operation to remove it. Varicocele is an expansion in the testes, namely the expansion of the internal veins in this organ. Basically, this disease leads to a lack of offspring. But there are relapses when there is an acute pain inside this organ. In this case, the operation to dress the varicose veins is strictly necessary.

In addition to surgery, there are no other ways to treat this disease at this time. In the same case, if this disease is found in elderly men, and it does not bother him, then you do not need to perform an operation. In the case of pain, the removal of this formation in the genital testicles of a man is mandatory.

If varicose veins of the testicular vein are found in a child or a man at a young age, then in order to maintain its childbearing function, the elimination of varicocele is simply necessary. This operation is performed by the following methods:

1. Normal operation, with dissection of the soft tissues of the external organ, with the presence of blood loss. This is followed by a long period of rehabilitation.
2. The modern method is through a puncture of a vein in the groin, a flexible working tool penetrates into the right place and bandages the affected vein. As a result, there is no blood loss, a long period of rehabilitation is not required. After the operation, which lasts about 30 minutes, you do not need to stay in the ward.
3. Laparoscopic surgery. Three punctures are made in the abdomen. A special device is introduced through one of the holes, the operation time lasts up to 30 minutes. The patient is in the clinic for two days, there is no long rehabilitation period, and blood loss too. Yet a month you can’t enter into intimate relationships, go in for sports, you need to be on a diet. However, a person can do everyday work.

Each patient chooses the right surgery for the treatment of varicocele. The difference in operations is not only in their quality, but also in the cost of the service.

If the testicle after surgery with varicocele hurts, you should immediately visit a specialist.

Drug treatment

Parents are interested in the question of what to do with a varicocele in a teenager. You do not always want to resort to surgical treatment. Medications can come to the rescue. The effectiveness of ointments and tablets for the treatment of varicocele is possible only in the first two stages of the disease, in the last stages only surgical treatment is effective. The following types of drugs for the medical treatment of varicocele are available:

1. Antioxidants and anticoagulants. Their effectiveness is to enrich the seminal glands with oxygen, improve metabolic processes and vascular tone. The right surgeon will help you choose the right dose and duration of admission.
2. Microcirculation enhancing drugs. They also have a positive effect on vascular tone and thin the blood.
3. Venotonics and venoprotectors. Their effect is manifested in the reduction of tissue edema, the reduction of congestion, the strengthening of the vascular wall and the improvement of hemodynamics. There are various pharmacological forms of drugs, the main ones are ointments and tablets.

Effective drugs

Medicines in the form of ointments are prescribed as follows:

• "Lyoton" - reduces inflammation, anesthetizes, improves metabolic processes;
• "Venolife" - a combined drug with analgesic and tonic effect;
• "Troxevasin" - improves the tone of the venous wall, has an angioprotective effect;
• "Heparin" - is an anticoagulant, and therefore leads to an improvement in blood rheology and stimulation of metabolic processes.

Tableted forms are represented by the following preparations:

1. "Detralex" - reduces pain and fullness.
2. "Venarus" - in the composition of diosmin and hesperidin, contributing to the normalization of vascular tone.
3. "Anavenol" - increases tone and reduces the permeability of the vascular wall. Contraindicated for teens.
4. "Aescusan" - there are also drip forms, has a plant base and is safe. Effective only in the very early stages of the disease.

Alternative treatment of varicocele

At the first stage of the disease, as well as as a prophylaxis of the disease or in the postoperative period, the use of traditional medicine methods is possible. Traditional medicine along with drug treatment helps to improve blood flow in the tissues, reduce their swelling, strengthen the vascular wall and reduce pain.

Benefits of folk remedies:

1. They do not cause side effects.
2. Low price of components.
3. It is simple to apply, it can be made at home.
4. Herbal preparations taken orally have a positive effect not only on the target organ, but also on the whole body.
5. External use contributes not only to a positive effect on the treatment of the disease, but also gives a good cosmetic effect.

Varicocele Herbs

For the treatment of varicocele, various methods of processing plant components are used.

Infusions and decoctions are a folk remedy for varicocele. Prepared on a water basis by infusing the ingredients in water (infusions) or boiling them (decoctions):

1. Seeds and flowers of horse chestnut contribute to the improvement of venous tone.
2. A decoction of oak or willow bark will help reduce pain and get rid of a feeling of heaviness.
3. Birch leaves, wild strawberries and dandelion roots, mixed in a collection, will help improve blood circulation and tone veins.

Compresses and lotions:

1. A good tool to reduce puffiness and strengthen the walls of blood vessels is homemade oil. It is prepared from a mixture of St. John's wort with vegetable oil. It is applied externally.
2. The use of wormwood leaves for cool lotions will reduce puffiness.

Therapeutic baths:

1. Sedentary warm baths have a calming effect, reduce severity and have a beneficial effect on the functioning of blood vessels. Prepared from the bark of oak, willow and chestnut, boil for 30 minutes.
2. From the broth of calendula, cool baths are prepared that have a tonic effect.

Do they take into the army with varicocele?

The answer to this question is ambiguous. In some cases, a conscript is taken into the army, in others they are released. It all depends on two reasons: the nature of the disease and the degree of damage to the diseased organ. The serviceability category depends only on these factors.

Depending on the degree of the disease, the first or second, the conscript may be assigned one of the categories of suitability: “B”, “C” or “G”. Varicocele and the army are fully compatible with the first degree of the disease. It is called latent because varicose expansion cannot yet be visually determined. At this degree, the patient often does not know about his problem. In this case, the disease does not yet lead to impaired functions, which is why conscripts with varicocele are taken into the army.

The second degree is characterized by the prolapse of the cord below the upper pole of the testis. Varicose expansion is already palpable, but not visually determined. Painful sensations appear. In the second degree of the disease, the likelihood of a call depends on a violation of functions and the appearance of relapses. The primary manifestation of the disease does not exempt from military service. Draftees with a single manifestation of a varicocele of the second degree receive the category "B-3" and go to serve. In the event of relapse, recruits receive category “B” when refusing treatment. With this category, they also serve in the army. The military medical commission does not make a diagnosis. A varicocele of the second degree, discovered earlier by a doctor, allows the commission to only send a conscript for an additional examination.

Varicocele of the third degree - this is serious. In this case, the disease is accompanied by constant pain and dysfunction of the genitourinary system. With the third degree, conscripts are no longer taken into the army, assigning them a fitness category of "B". Conscripts need to be careful. If you unreasonably underestimate the category of suitability, you must immediately contact the judicial authorities. Until a court decision, a conscript will not be taken into the army. Therefore, the question of whether to take into the army with a varicocele remains open.

Having received the summons, the conscript must visit the clinic where he is observed in connection with the disease. The attending physician must give him the necessary extracts, certificates and epicrisis, send it to an ultrasound. Although the military registration and enlistment office should independently request medical records of draftees, there is no need to rely on the conscientiousness of the performers. Documents are often lost, and it is better to have copies certified by the seal of the clinic.