Testicular Torsion

Testicular torsion is a serious and painful condition that affects your testicle(s). If you experience testicular torsion, the spermatic cord twists and cuts off blood flow to your testicle. If you don’t get immediate treatment, your testicle could die.

The spermatic cord supplies blood to the testicles in men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB). The testicles are the reproductive organs in the pouch (scrotum) below your penis. They make hormones and sperm.

How serious is testicular torsion?

Testicular torsion is a very serious medical emergency. If you have sudden, intense pain in one of your testicles, call a healthcare provider or go to an emergency room (ER) right away.

The risk of losing your testicle increases the longer you wait to get treatment for testicular torsion:

Almost everyone keeps their testicle if they get treatment within four to six hours.
Around half of people keep their testicle if they get treatment after 12 hours.
Only around 10% of people keep their testicle if they get treatment after 24 hours.

How common is testicular torsion?

Testicular torsion is rare. It affects about one in 4,000 men and people AMAB under age 25. It’s usually a spontaneous event, meaning it occurs without any apparent cause.

It almost always affects only one testicle. It more commonly affects the left testicle than the right.

Can I have testicular torsion in both testicles?

Yes, you can have testicular torsion in both testicles. But it’s rare. Only about 2% of testicular torsion cases affect both testicles.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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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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