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How to Prevent Testicular Torsion | Men's Health Tips

Painful testicular torsion

There are two kinds of men. Those who fear testicular torsion, and those who’ve never heard of it. For those who have, it will come as no surprise that “How to prevent testicular torsion” is one of the most common online searches for the condition. In fact, while it’s not an incredibly common occurrence, it happens to enough men, which then leads to the widespread fear that it could happen to anyone.

It’s a frightening, painful, and often embarrassing circumstance for any man, which can also get in the way of your dating life. The discomfort testicular torsion causes can make sex and foreplay practically impossible. And the only way to really cure it is through surgery. Yikes!

If you're still in the group of men wondering, "What is testicular torsion?" We have you covered. Let’s look at what it is, its medical significance, and how to prevent testicular torsion so you never have to worry about it again.

What is Testicular Torsion?

Testicular Torsion can impact a man both physically and mentally in drastic ways. Having a loyal and emotionally available partner can make things easier, but not everyone is so lucky.

According to Mayo Clinic, “Testicular torsion occurs when a testicle rotates, twisting the spermatic cord that brings blood to the scrotum. The reduced blood flow causes sudden and often severe pain and swelling.”

The general age range at which testicular torsion occurs is between 12 and 18, but it can also happen before birth or later in life. To understand how to avoid testicular torsion, it’s crucial for men to have more than a mere surface-level understanding of it. One of the first questions that may come to mind is, can testicular torsion kill you?

Can testicular torsion kill you?

Left untreated, testicular torsion will result in the death of the affected testicle after about 6 hours. As for you, the victim, can testicular torsion kill you? Absolutely.

The testicle will need to be surgically removed once permanent damage has occurred. Otherwise, the affected testicle could become gangrenous and result in the death of the victim.

A gangrenous testicle left to fester within the body spreads bacteria, and can lead to septicemia, which is lethal if you go into septic shock.

I’m not trying to scare you here, but ignoring testicular torsion can be extremely dangerous.

But then, you may be wondering, does testicular torsion go away on its own? Sometimes, but it's rare and surgery is still required to prevent it from occurring again. Testicular torsion should always be treated as the serious medical emergency it is. As if the pain associated with it isn’t enough to clue you in!

Along with understanding how to respond to its occurrence, knowing how to prevent testicular torsion is, understandably, important to many men. Clearly, it can quickly become a lethal condition, with just hours to resolve.

For those looking for a simple answer, there unfortunately isn't one when looking at preventing testicular torsion, as many factors are at play. However, some steps can be taken to minimize risk.

How to Prevent Testicular Torsion

A man sprinting

Preventing testicular torsion can save men a hefty amount of stress, both in their daily lives, and dating lives. The loss of a testicle can lead to insecurity around women, and the prospect of sex, even though it shouldn't.

Thankfully, while not always simple, there are steps that can be taken towards effective testicular torsion prevention.

Common scenarios in which testicular torsion can occur are:

  • During Strenuous Exercise
  • During Sleep
  • During Sports
  • During Sex
  • Genetic Precondition

Let’s look at these individually.

Testicular torsion from exercise

According to Harvard Health, strenuous exercise can lead to testicular torsion.

This can result from improper form, and using weights that are too heavy for the exerciser.

You need to maintain focus on what you’re doing and avoid distraction. Wearing loose and breathable underwear and trousers will also prevent the testicle from pressing up against the leg, potentially preventing testicular torsion.

Trying to flirt with your gym crush while attempting a personal record on the squat rack is a bad idea. If you're heading to your workout with the extra intention of flirting, that’s fine, but do it during your rest break, and make sure to approach correctly so that everyone is comfortable.

Testicular torsion during sleep

One out of seven cases of acute testicular torsions occurs during sleep. Individuals most at risk for testicular torsion during sleep, are those who practice improper sleeping positions. Sleeping on your stomach is by far the worst position for your health. It also has the added risk of testicular torsion, should you move about in a particular way that rolls the testicles.

An 11-year-old boy in China lost a testicle during sleep after it rotated a shocking 540 degrees.

It would be best to practice another sleeping position or get an orthopedic pillow to place under your waist while sleeping to reduce risk.

By the way, a large portion of testicular torsions also occurs while sitting. If you’re the kind of person to approach a coffee date well-prepared, it would be smart to add mindful sitting positions to your mental checklist. No matter how engrossed you are in your date, make sure you move around every so often to give your bits some time to breathe. It might just help you avoid an awkward first encounter with a great woman.

Testicular torsion during sports

Contact Sports can lead to testicular torsion and even rupture when safety protocols are ignored. Knowing how to avoid testicular torsion is crucial for sports enthusiasts. So invest in a testicular guard or jockstrap to reduce the risk of your crown jewels getting injured.

As many as 18 percent of male athletes have experienced a testicular injury of some variety. Yet only 12.9 percent of male athletes wear a jockstrap. One simple addition to your sports “attire” could spare you a significant medical emergency, or at the very least, a nasty amount of pain.

Testicular torsion during sex

Sexual activity can cause some surprising injuries

You’ve learned how to have a great conversation on Tinder, and you’re getting laid. Finally!

Everything’s going well… until it’s not. She’s just accidentally, and rather swiftly, raised her leg up into your crown jewels.

The pain is ridiculous, and you're pretty sure you have a testicular torsion. “Can you die from testicular torsion?”, she asks. Already knowing the answer, having read about it on Beyond Ages, you rush to the hospital.

Perhaps a rather specific scenario, but testicular torsions can absolutely occur during sex.

The swinging of the testicles during sex, and accidentally inflicted injuries, such as the one in our hypothetical scenario above, can lead to testicular damage, and torsion. It would be smart to minimize swinging, and if possible, avoid “exposing” positions during sex.

If you and your partner like it rough, there’s no shame in that. But it’s best to avoid testicle-play that involves twisting and rough handling. Even if you’re into pain, you won’t be as into it when you need a trip to the emergency room!

Natural precondition

Some men are born with a genetic trait that leaves the testicles far more likely to experience testicular torsion, such as those with “bell-clapper deformity” which “leaves the testis free to swing and rotate within the tunica vaginalis of the scrotum much like the gong (clapper) inside of a bell.”

Men can go to a urologist to get a check-up and see if they have any conditions, such as bell-clapper deformity, which may increase their risk of testicular torsion.

Regarding how to prevent testicular torsion in individuals with the bell-clapper deformity, and similar conditions, this can generally be remedied with surgery.

If you have an active sex life, or like to get adventurous under the sheets from time to time, you should definitely get checked for conditions like this. Physical activity could really be putting you at risk for testicular torsion.

Regular checkups

I can’t stress this enough, but if you feel any sort of pain or discomfort in your testicles, get it checked immediately. Some men don’t know they have testicular torsion until the pain becomes unbearable, and by then it might be too late. Doctors can run tests to check if you have testicular torsion, and none of them need to be invasive. It usually just involves a urine test and an ultrasound.

If it turns out you don’t have testicular torsion, then great! If you have it, at least you learned about it before the unbearable pain hits!

Life After Testicular Torsion

Enjoying life after testicular torsion

Does testicular torsion go away entirely with surgery? Can you die from testicular torsion during medical assistance? What does life after testicular torsion look like?

All of these questions and more will undoubtedly race through the mind of any man prior to, and after successful surgery to resolve testicular torsion. It’s crucial to get all the answers to any questions you may have, in order to stay relaxed and make your way smoothly through the recovery.

Life after testicular torsion, thankfully, does not change too drastically, but it does change.

Let’s answer all the questions posed, and take a deep look into the biggest changes a man can expect.

Does testicular torsion go away with surgery?

Recurrent testicular torsion after previous surgical fixation is uncommon. However, it can still occur. You would have to go back to the hospital for repeat surgery to, hopefully, permanently resolve the issue.

Again, this is thankfully quite uncommon, and after your initial experience, it is most likely that you won't have to go through another ordeal. Those with conditions such as bell-clapper deformity are more likely to experience testicular torsion repeatedly. It is also more likely to occur again in individuals who did not require surgery.

Can you die from testicular torsion during medical assistance?

This greatly depends on the state you were in when you began receiving medical assistance. If your testicle was gangrenous, and you have a serious case of septicemia, it is possible that you could develop toxic shock syndrome and die.

Sepsis is the most common cause of death in hospitals across the United States.

Thankfully, most cases of testicular torsion do not reach this point. Listen to your body, and visit a hospital when something seems wrong.

What does life after testicular torsion look like?

It’s going to take 1 to 2 weeks of recovery before you can go back to your regular life, but you’ll have to wait 3 weeks before you attempt strenuous activities like sports, masturbation, and sex. If you were able to get surgery before torsion gets worse, the doctor will just untwist your testicle and stitch it into place so you never get torsion again. It’s a quick surgery with general anesthesia and you get to keep your testicle.

However, things get more complicated if the torsion is so extreme that it leads to the loss of a testicle. Common long-term side effects which may occur after removal of a testicle after torsion include pain, loss of testosterone, and infertility. You may also notice a slight increase in size of the remaining testicle, a condition called “compensatory hypertrophy.”

However, thankfully, most men will retain their ability to reproduce and have normal sexual relations. Even though they have just one testicle.

You may need to begin taking pain medications to deal with the discomfort, at least for a while after your surgery. Some men opt to get an artificial or prosthetic testicle, as a replacement in order to feel more confident.

Dating after testicular torsion

Some men will want to rush straight back into dating and finding hookups after surgery, but it’s essential to take the time you need to recover, about three weeks.

This is a fantastic time to sit back, relax, and work your charm to meet amazing girls online. There are a plethora of fantastic apps where you can meet women, and it’ll help you build on your conversational skills too.

Practising your game is crucial to getting laid. Fun and sexy questions that can spice up a conversation are going to separate you from the boring Joes that message her every day.

Your dating life is going to be just fine, and you’ll be back out there getting laid in no time. Life after testicular torsion shouldn’t be that much different from life before it. In fact, this experience may even push you to become more health-conscious, which is always a plus–both for your health and your dating life!

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