Epididymitis

QUESTION: When an intense pain in my scrotum would not pass, I finally
visited the doctor. He prescribed an antibiotic, said that all would clear up
shortly, and it did, and also gave me the name of the disease. He called it
"didi-mite," or something like that, but I was too embarrassed and in too much
pain at the time to ask any questions. I suppose people like me keep people
like you very busy, but can you please tell me what it was I had and why?
Thank you.
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ANSWER: I fully understand your predicament, and at a moment like that it
would be pretty hard to catch the name of a disease as difficult to pronounce
as "epididymitis". Actually, you came as close as most patients.
The epididymis is tightly coiled tube located on the back upper border of
the testicle. Sperm travels from the testicle to the urethra by way of the
epididymis and then through the vas deferens. The epididymis is a collecting
area, where the immature sperm spend up to ten days maturing and developing
the power to move on their own motility before passing into the vas deferens
where the greater majority are stored. Epididymitis is an infection of this
portion of the reproductive system.
The symptoms may unfold gradually, but develop into an intense pain in
the scrotum, accompanied by swelling of the area and a fever, that demands
medical attention. In some cases there is pain on urination or a discharge
from the penis. A urine culture will help to identify the bacteria, or
examining a stained smear of the secretions through a microscope. In most
cases, the bacteria is found to be a gonococcus or chlamydia. Once the germ
that is the source of the infection is found, the appropriate antibiotic can
be prescribed and the results are often apparent in 48 hours as the tenderness
resolves and the temperature drops down to normal. Analgesics, such as
ibuprofen and aspirin, are useful to control the symptoms during the first
days. Since epididymitis is considered to be a sexually transmitted disease
in the majority of cases, it is important that your partner be checked as
well, and receive antibiotic therapy if required.