Have you ever heard of blue balls? Or still, worse, experienced pain in balls or pain in testicles, to be precise? Well, this not a fictitious condition. It does happen to some men and is worth knowing about.
‘Blue balls’ is a condition characterized by increased blood flow to the male genitalia during sexual arousal which is not relieved by ejaculation or orgasm, medically termed as ‘epididymal hypertension’. It causes aching pain, pressure, and heaviness down there.
What happens exactly?
When a male is sexually excited, the arteries to his genitals enlarge while the veins shrink. This means that more blood reaches the area through arteries while only a little of it is allowed to escape through veins. This increased blood flow builds up pressure which results in an erection. Usually, when the male ejaculates on reaching an orgasm, the pressure and the blood flow subsequently return to normal.
However, if the aroused state is prolonged or there is a failure to reach an orgasm, the increased pressure can cause congestion of blood vessels leading to the sensation of pain and heaviness in balls or testicles. Though the pain is mild or dulls the failure to perform may cause tremendous stress on the male.
Why ‘blue’?
As the blood accumulates in the balls or the testis, for an extended period of time, lack of blood circulation reduces the oxygen content in the blood, giving it a bluish appearance. So, blue balls actually mean that balls turn blue. This is better appreciated in fair-skinned males.
Remedial measures
- The easiest way to relieve the testicular pain and pressure is to ejaculate. Once the blood flow is restored, the symptoms will subside gradually.
- If there’s trouble ejaculating, medical help is advised. However, in the meantime, cold compresses can be applied to the area to stop the blood flow and reduce blood pressure.
- Don’t panic. The key point is not to panic since stress and anxiety will increase the blood pressure further.
Blue balls may happen once in a blue moon. But knowing about this helps.
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