Hydrocele

A hydrocele (HI-dra-seel) is a fluid-filled sac in your scrotum that causes swelling. Your scrotum is the pouch of skin behind your penis that holds your testes (testicles). A hydrocele may affect one side of your scrotum or both sides. Another name for hydroceles around both of your testicles is a bilateral hydrocele.

Hydroceles can affect anyone assigned male at birth (AMAB), but they’re more common in infants.

They can also occur spontaneously in adulthood.

How serious is a hydrocele?

Hydroceles can be alarming because they cause swelling in a sensitive part of your body and can happen suddenly. In some instances, hydroceles can be bothersome depending on their size. A large hydrocele may cause discomfort while sitting or walking. However, in many people, a hydrocele isn’t serious, bothersome or painful.

What are the types of hydroceles?

There are two types of hydroceles: communicating hydroceles and noncommunicating hydroceles.

Communicating hydrocele

A communicating hydrocele has contact (communication) with the fluids in your abdominal cavity. Your abdominal cavity is the space within your abdomen that contains your stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys and other organs. Communicating hydroceles occur in fetal development.

During development, a thin membrane forms between some tissues in the fetus’s stomach lining (inguinal canal) and the scrotum. This membrane is the processus vaginalis. Normally, the testicles slide (descend) from the abdomen through the processus vaginalis into the scrotum. Tissue then forms to seal the opening (communication). If a seal doesn’t form, fluids from the abdominal cavity can flow into the scrotum and cause a hydrocele or hernia.

If you or your child has a communicating hydrocele, the scrotum will appear large or swollen, and it may change in size throughout the day.

Noncommunicating hydrocele

In a noncommunicating hydrocele, the processus vaginalis closes. But there’s still some extra abdominal fluid around the testicle in the scrotum. Noncommunicating hydroceles may be present at birth or develop years later for no obvious reason.

If you or your child has a noncommunicating hydrocele, it usually remains the same size or grows very slowly.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

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