The patient is Mr. N.H. H. (33 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City), admitted to the hospital in a state of high fever, swollen and painful left testicle. Through examination, doctors recorded that the testicles were clearly swollen and painful but there were no signs of painful urination, painful urination or typical manifestations of urinary tract infection. Notably, medical history investigation showed that about a week before, the patient had swollen and painful parotid glands on both sides but thought the disease was mild, so he did not go for examination.
From clinical data, the doctor suspected testicular inflammation due to mumps and prescribed a definitive antibody test. The patient was treated in the direction of reducing symptoms, reducing fever, pain relief, supporting the scrotum, and closely monitoring the progression. After stabilization, he was scheduled for a re-examination and semen analysis to assess fertility.
I just had one child and still hope to have more, so when I heard the doctor say that the disease could affect the testicles, I was very worried. Fortunately, it was detected early and instructed to monitor carefully," Mr. H. shared.
According to Dr. Nguyen Gia Ky, Department of Andrology, Department of Nephrology - Urology, Gia Dinh People's Hospital, mumps is a viral infectious disease, transmitted through the respiratory tract or close contact. Many people still think that this is a child's disease, but in fact, adults who have never been infected or have not been vaccinated are still at risk of infection.
In the early stages, the disease usually manifests as fever, fatigue, headache, jaw pain, followed by swelling of the parotid glands. However, in men after puberty, an important sign to be wary of is testicular swelling and pain appearing after a period of illness.
Not all cases of testicular pain are caused by mumps. Some emergency diseases such as testicular torsion, if delayed, can cause serious consequences. Therefore, patients should not monitor themselves at home but need to go to a medical facility for accurate assessment," Dr. Gia Ky emphasized.
Doctors said that there is currently no specific medicine to kill the mumps virus. Treatment is mainly supportive: pain relief, fever reduction, rest, scrotum support and monitoring complications. When there are severe signs such as prolonged high fever, rapid red swelling of the scrotum, increased pain, accompanied by nausea or vomiting, patients need to see a doctor immediately to rule out emergency conditions.
In fact, many people still have the habit of self-treating with folk remedies, applying leaves or buying antibiotics themselves. These methods are not only ineffective but can also slow down the diagnosis process, causing the disease to progress more severely.
Besides treatment, vaccination is considered an important solution. Measles vaccine is often in the measles - mumps - rubella combination vaccine, which significantly reduces the risk of infection and complications. Children need to be fully vaccinated according to the schedule. Adults who have not been vaccinated or have unclear vaccination history should proactively check and get medical advice.
Mumps is a disease that can be prevented. Don't wait until complications affecting reproduction appear to think about vaccines," Dr. Gia Ky advised.
Doctors emphasize that for men of reproductive age, testicular swelling and pain are signs that should not be subjective. Early examination not only helps to correctly identify the cause but also contributes to protecting long-term fertility, avoiding unfortunate consequences due to delayed treatment.
