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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staff
Testicular self-exams can help identify a scrotal mass early and enable you to get prompt medical care. If you perform this exam regularly, you'll understand what "normal" feels like and be better prepared to detect any abnormality. To do a testicular self-exam, follow these steps:
- Examine your testicles once a month.
- Perform the exam after a warm bath or shower. The heat from the water relaxes your scrotum, making it easier for you to check for anything unusual.
- Stand in front of a mirror. Look for any swelling on the skin of the scrotum.
- Cup your scrotum with one hand to see if it feels different from normal.
- Examine one testicle at a time using both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle while placing your thumbs on the top.
- Gently roll the testicle between the thumbs and fingers. Feel for lumps and bumps. The testicles are usually smooth, oval shaped and somewhat firm. It's normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other.
- Feel along the epididymis — the soft, comma-shaped structure that runs above and behind the testicle — to check for any swelling.
If you find a lump or other abnormality, call your doctor as soon as possible.
References
- Orchitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec17/ch239/ch239e.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Epididymitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec17/ch239/ch239d.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Testicular cancer. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec17/ch241/ch241h.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Haynes JH. Inguinal and scrotal disorders. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2006;86:371.
- Junnila J, et al. Testicular masses. American Family Physician. 1998;57:685.
- Shaw J. Diagnosis and treatment of testicular cancer. American Family Physician. 2008;7:469.
- Brenner JS, et al. Causes of painless scrotal swelling in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 28, 2009.
- Galejs LE. Diagnosis and treatment of the acute scrotum. American Family Physician. 1999;59:817.
- Elder J. Disorders and anomalies of the scrotal contents. In: Kliegman R, et al., eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders/Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/142753628-2/0/1608/1246.html?tocnode=54484554&fromURL=1246.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50547-8_9817. Accessed May 20, 2009.
- Cole FL, et al. The acute, nontraumatic scrotum: Assessment, diagnosis, and management. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 2004;16:50.
- Marcozzi D, et al. The nontraumatic, acute scrotum. Emergency Medical Clinics of North America. 2001;19:547.
- Testicular cancer: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/testicular. Accessed May 25, 2009.
- Cooper C, et al. Undescended testicle (cryptorchidism). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Barthold JS, et al. The epidemiology of congenital cryptorchidism, testicular ascent and orchiopexy. Journal of Urology. 2003;170:2396.
- Eyre RC. Evaluation of the acute scrotum in adult men. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 28, 2009.
- Information from your family doctor. Testicular cancer. American Family Physician. 2004;69:613.
