How Is Ice Applied to Relieve Epididymitis Symptoms?
Epididymitis is a common disease in young and middle-aged men. It is caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, or Streptococcus entering the epididymis retrogradely through the vas deferens. Therefore, the disease is mainly secondary to posterior urethritis, prostatitis, seminal vesiculitis, or infection through retrograde after urethral device manipulation or long-term catheter retention.
During epididymitis treatment, the patient should rest in bed and support the scrotum with a cotton pad to reduce pain symptoms. People with severe pain can use pain medication, and topical heat therapy can relieve symptoms and promote the resolution of inflammation. Because hot compress can increase blood circulation, improve the permeability of blood vessels, promote the absorption of inflammation effectively, and shorten the course of the disease.
However, it should be noted that hyperthermia should not be used in the early stage of epididymitis (i.e., the initial stage, 3-4 days). Otherwise, it will easily aggravate the pain and risk spreading infection. In the early stage of inflammation, using an ice pack and a local cold compress with a towel outside is best. Because sex and physical labor can exacerbate the infection, it should be avoided during illness.
Therefore, it cannot be said in general whether ice compresses can improve epididymitis. It depends on the stage of epididymitis. If epididymitis is in the acute phase, epididymal congestion, pain, and patient fever, an ice compress is effective in improving epididymitis. It reduces the dilation of blood vessels, inflammation, and pain relief.
However, suppose the acute phase of the epididymis has passed and the epididymis is relatively late. In that case, the blood vessels of the epididymis are not congested, and it is not suitable for ice packs at this time, but hot packs are needed. It can promote blood circulation so that the nodules caused by epididymitis can be slowly eliminated and improved as soon as possible. If it is chronic epididymitis, this situation often requires hot compresses.
In this case, if the local ice is applied, the small arteries will be constricted, the effective blood circulation will be reduced, and the metabolites of inflammation cannot be excreted through the blood circulation in time. In addition to a hot compress, you can also use magic lamp irradiation treatment twice a day, 20 minutes each time. Its effect is the same as a hot compress.
Therefore, ice can be applied if it is in the acute stage of epididymitis. However, epididymitis patients often require hot compresses in the chronic or late stage.
Epididymitis must be treated in time. Epididymitis is a disease of inflammatory infection, and the inflammatory condition should be eliminated in time when treating the disease. The ice and heat compresses mentioned above are both types of physical therapy. In addition to this therapy, there are other methods such as drug therapy, surgery, and general treatment.
Medical treatment: When a patient goes to the hospital and is diagnosed with chronic epididymitis, it is recommended to select sensitive anti-inflammatory drugs for treatment according to the test results. Men can choose Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill, which has the main functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain, and diuretic and dredging.
It helps to kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, and does not develop resistance and resistance. Diuretic and Anti-inflammatory Pill can effectively treat chronic epididymitis, thereby improving patients' clinical symptoms.
Surgical treatment: If drug treatment or physical therapy has no noticeable effect, and the symptoms of chronic epididymitis recur, which has seriously affected the normal life of the patient, and the patient has no need for fertility, epididymectomy surgery can be considered.
General treatment: Patients with epididymitis should try to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, do not drink alcohol and fast some spicy and irritating foods, such as onions, garlic, and peppers, because these foods can aggravate the disease. They should increase their supplementary nutritional diet, mainly light and easily digestible food, and avoid prolonged pressure or friction on the scrotum and too frequent sex. In addition, it is essential to maintain an optimistic attitude.
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