What Is The Best Treatment For Orchitis?
Orchitis is a viral disease in about 90 % to 95 % of the cases caused by the mumps virus. This virus belongs to the paramyxovirus family of viruses and is responsible for inflammation of various organs in the body. The first organ involvement is a parotid salivary gland which is the largest salivary gland of the body and leads to swelling on the lateral side of the mouth bilaterally. The second organ involvement is testis whose inflammation is known as orchitis. On the other hand, in females, the second organ involvement after the parotid gland in mumps infection is ovaries known as oophoritis.
In such cases, the main mode of treatment is symptomatic. The condition lasts for about two weeks once started and only the symptoms can be relieved with appropriate medications. There is no medication to eradicate the viruses before the condition gets subsided eventually by the immune system of the body. The medical treatment depends upon the presentation of the patient. If the patient is suffering from fever and pain, then the appropriate antipyretics and analgesics can be given for example paracetamol, Ibuprofen, ketorolac, nabumetone, etc.
In about 5 to 10% of the cases, the orchitis caused is due to bacterial infection of the scrotal sac by some bacteria. Depending upon the organism affecting the person after blood culture, appropriate antibiotics are started to limit the progression of the disease. It also controls the complications and reduces the lifetime of the bacteria or kills them. Third-generation cephalosporins are the most effective drugs in almost all the bacteria which are known for causing orchitis. Cefixime is the drug that can be taken orally if the patient can swallow and ceftriaxone is the drug given intravenously if the patient is sick and cannot swallow. Appropriate anti-inflammatory drugs, antipyretic drugs, and analgesics also combined with the antibiotic regime.
Coping Methods For Orchitis
For coping with orchitis until the symptoms of the scrotal sac subside, bed rest is the most important and efficient method to give the time required for curbing inflammation. Do not try to hasten the process of healing by applying a variety of substances. Walking, running, prolonged standing, etc. are less productive in healing and should be avoided. Cold sponging can be done to reduce the pain and redness around the inflamed area. A few ice cubes are taken and wrapped in a cloth and tied. These are applied to the area for about 2 minutes and removed. This maneuver can be done for about 10 times every 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. For rest of the day, scrotal support is given by putting some cotton below the scrotal sac and wrapping a bandage around the scrotal sac and pasting it on the abdomen to elevate the scrotum. This helps in the production of the fluid accumulation in the scrotal sac and improves the blood supply to the scrotum. The fluid already accumulated gets quickly cleared before it can lead to some other complications.(1)
Conclusion
The best treatment for orchitis caused by a viral disease is anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs. These can be given according to the symptoms presented by the patient and their severity. Dosing of the drugs can also be adjusted on the same basis. The patient must consult the doctor as soon as possible without wasting time in home remedies and doing unnecessary things. Appropriate knowledge about the disease from the physician is very important. Scrotal support by bandage is essential to limit the progression of the disease and decrease the complication risk. Bed rest for a few days helps in hastening the process of healing and helps the body to recover from the inflammation early.
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