That is, your own body may start to kill off sperm. According to at least one study, the chances of this occurring are higher in men with varicoceles than in those without. Low testosterone. Doctors also know that varicoceles can interfere with the actual production of testosterone. In addition to infertility, low testosterone production can result in many problems, including:. For example, low sperm and testosterone production can be quite serious for men who are trying to start or grow their family.
Other symptoms of a varicocele, however, are more aesthetic, such as a lump on your scrotum that feels and looks like a bag of worms. Varicoceles that are causing symptoms can be corrected through surgery, or, for men hoping to avoid a surgical procedure, they can be treated through a minimally invasive technique known as varicocele embolization.
What is a varicocele? Varicoceles form during puberty. They can grow larger and you may notice them more over time. Varicoceles are more common on the left side of the scrotum. This is because the male anatomy is not the same on both sides. Varicoceles can exist on both sides at the same time, but this is rare. About 10 to 15 boys out of have a varicocele.
Most of the time, varicoceles cause no problems and are harmless. Less often varicoceles can cause pain, problems fathering a child, or one testicle to grow slower or shrink. See More See Less. The male reproductive system makes, stores, and moves sperm. The scrotum is the sac of skin that holds the testicles testes. Sperm and the hormone testosterone are made in the testicles.
Sperm mature while moving through a coiled tube the epididymis behind each testicle. Sperm travel to the prostate from each epididymis using a tube called the vas deferens. When you ejaculate, seminal fluid mixes with sperm in the prostate to form semen. The semen travels through the urethra and comes out the end of your penis. The spermatic cord holds the vas deferens and the testicular artery, which brings blood to the testicle.
It also houses the pampiniform plexus, a group of veins that drains the blood from the testicles. Testes need a certain body heat that is below our core body heat for optimal sperm production, maturity and function. The body heat in the scrotum is about five degrees lower than that of the belly or pelvis. The latter is due to the presence of pampiniform plexus, which act as a countercurrent heat exchanger, cooling blood in the testicular artery before it enters the testicles.
This helps keep it at the body heat needed to make good quality sperms. When these veins become enlarged such as in varicocele, overheating of the testes can lower sperm production and function leading to a lower fertility potential. Most males with a varicocele have no symptoms. But varicoceles are a concern for many reasons. Some may cause infertility problems fathering a child and slow growth of the left testicle during puberty. Varicoceles may be the cause of fertility problems in about four out of ten men who have problems fathering their first child.
They may also be the cause of fertility problems in about eight out of ten men who have problems fathering a child after their first. Many causes of varicoceles have been offered. The valves in the veins may not work well or may be missing. If blood flow is sluggish, blood may pool in the veins. Also, the larger veins moving from the testicles towards the heart are connected differently on the left and right side.
So more pressure is needed on the left side to keep blood flowing through the veins towards the heart. If blood flows backwards or pools in the veins, that can cause them to swell. Rarely, swollen lymph nodes or other masses behind the belly block blood flow. This can lead to sudden swelling of the scrotal veins.
This is often painful. In healthy veins there are one-way valves that allow blood to flow back to the heart. Patients with a varicocele may have malfunctioning valves which causes blood to flow backwards and pool in the veins in the scrotum. What symptoms might indicate that you have a varicocele? Many varicoceles display no overt symptoms.
Call our office if you: Experience pain or swelling in the scrotal area Notice that your testicles are different sizes Discover a mass in your testicles. A varicocele is usually harmless and more than likely won't affect a guy's ability to father a child later in life.
But if there is any pain and swelling, the doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medicine to relieve it. If the varicocele causes discomfort or aching, wearing snug underwear like briefs or a jock strap for support may bring relief. If the doctor thinks the testicle is being affected by the varicocele or if there's still pain and support doesn't help, a type of surgery called a varicocelectomy may be recommended.
This is done by a urologist , a doctor who specializes in urinary and genital problems. The urologist will discuss the different ways a varicocelectomy can be done and recommend the best approach for the patient. The procedure is usually done on an outpatient basis meaning there's no need for an overnight hospital stay.
The patient usually gets general or local anesthesia. Then, the doctor simply ties off the affected vein to redirect the flow of blood into other normal veins. In some cases, instead of surgery, doctors can pass a plastic tube into the vein that's causing the varicocele and treat the problem by blocking blood flow to the enlarged vein.
Talk with your doctor about whether this treatment might be an option for you. After surgery , the doctor probably will recommend that a guy wear a scrotal support and use a cold pack on the area to bring down any swelling. There may be discomfort in the testicle for a few weeks, but after that, any aches and pains will go away and everything should be back in full working order.
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