His bits are agony!

Q My hubby has agonising testicle pain. The doctor diagnosed epididymitis and gave him antibiotics, but he’s still not better.

Kate, Ripon A Epididymitis is an infection of a man’s epididymis, the sperm-collecting tube at the top of each testicle. In younger men the bugs are usually part of an infection caught through sex,

but in older guys a urine infection is often the trigger. His scrotum, the bag of skin around his testicles, is likely to be swollen and red, and very tender and painful.

A course of antibiotics should do the trick, but some pain and discomfort might last for weeks or even months. Painkillers, and resting with support for his testicle, will help but if he’s not improving at all he should see his doctor to rule out other causes, including rare infections such as tuberculosis, which could affect his fertility if not properly treated.