Varicocele Q & A
What is Varicocele?
Varicocele (VAR-ih-koe-seel) is a medical term used to describe swelling of the veins within the scrotum. It may look like a varicose vein that you might see in your leg. Most of the time, treatment is not required, but in some cases, the Varicocele can affect fertility and cause discomfort or pain.
What causes Varicocele?
Much like varicose veins elsewhere in the body, a varicocele is caused by dilated veins, which allow blood to pool, causing pressure, heaviness, and sometimes pain.
Who is at risk for Varicocele?
Varicoceles can develop over time and affect any man at any time in his life.
What are the symptoms of Varicocele?
Although it does not always produce symptoms, when it does, they can be unpleasant and uncomfortable.
- Visible, enlarged veins in the scrotum
- One testicle that is larger than the other
- Lump in the scrotum that is not painful
- Pain that is worse when standing, during hot weather, or during exercise
What are standard tests for Varicocele?
While your physician may visualize a varicocele without testing, imaging such as ultrasound is helpful when diagnosing the condition and planning appropriate treatment.
How is Varicocele treated?
Treatment for Varicocele includes a minimally invasive procedure that involves embolization of the gonadal vein. This procedure is done in an office-based setting. Relief is often immediate, and patients can go home the same day and return to regular activity after only a day or two. Coordinating care with your Primary Care Provider or Urologist will allow our specialists here at Vascular Health Institute to create a treatment plan that gets you back to a healthy lifestyle as quickly as possible, with minimal downtime.
Call us at (469) 436-3650, or click on the convenient online scheduling tool today to talk to our team and learn more about how we can help you.
CONDITIONS
LATEST NEWS
The Thing About Chronic Pain
Understanding chronic pain Pain has many different meanings. It is a state of physical or mental distress that can be acute (causing sudden pain), chronic (having a long duration), and even painful without an apparent cause. Chronic pain is often caused by an ongoing illness or injury and may be…
What You Need to Know About Diabetes
Let’s talk about what diabetes is. Diabetes is a serious disease that can cause problems with the heart, kidneys, and eyes. It’s also a major risk factor for many health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. Diabetes is a lifelong condition that affects how the body…
Uterine Fibroids: What You Need to Know
What exactly are uterine fibroids? Uterine fibroids are the most common non-cancerous growths in a woman’s uterus. They can be as small as a pea or as big as a grapefruit. Fibroids also vary in shape and texture. For some women, fibroids may not cause any symptoms and go undetected…
Peripheral Artery Disease: Just the Facts
So, what exactly is peripheral artery disease? As the name suggests, peripheral artery disease (PAD) affects the arteries that supply blood to your body’s periphery. The most common symptom of PAD is leg pain that typically worsens with walking or prolonged standing. Other symptoms may include: arm and/or chest pain…
How Diet Plays Into Vascular Disease
How diet effects the seriousness of vascular disease It’s not just about how much you exercise, it’s also about what you eat. Did you know that diet is the number one risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease? According to the American Heart Association, diets high in saturated and trans fats…
What Happens To A Wound That Won’t Heal?
What Happens To A Wound That Won’t Heal? If someone has a wound that is not healing then it’s time to seek medical consultation. A chronic wound can cause lethal complications, but with advanced medical technology, there are several methods for the treatment of untreated wounds. Chronic wounds are defined…
Feet and Peripheral Artery Disease
How are Your Feet Feeling? Foot pain is common. Standing too long. Wearing the wrong size shoes. Sports injury. Auto injury. There are multiple catalysts for this type of pain, but one of the more serious ones is a vascular condition called Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). This is a buildup…
PAD Risk Factors and Prevalence
When it comes to peripheral artery disease, there are several risk factors to take into consideration to determine whether or not you can develop the condition. According to the CDC: Both men and woman are affected by PAD; however, African Americans have an increased risk of PAD. Hispanics may have…
Atherosclerosis and PAD
Discover the Link Between PAD and Atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis occur when plaque builds up inside your artery walls. The plaque is a combination of fat deposits, cholesterol and other substances collecting in the arteries. This occurring within the peripheral arteries is the most common cause of PAD, hence the term “Peripheral…
Coffee and Cardiovascular Disease
Are you one of those people who can’t start their day off right without a cup of coffee? You’re not alone, but a recent study out of Australia suggests that too much coffee can lead to cardiovascular disease. Time to rethink your morning routine? From the study, sourced from https://www.unisa.edu.au/Media-Centre/Releases/2021/deja-brew-another-shot-for-lovers-of-coffee/…
Heart Disease Facts
Heart disease affects millions of Americans each year, resulting in anything from mild discomfort to death. According to the CDC, the following are heart disease facts everyone should be aware of. Heart Disease Facts in the United States Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and…
How to Take Care of Your Heart
Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy Your heart powers the body. It provides the individual cells with oxygen and nutrients. It’s the little engine that could – until it no longer can. While we can’t fight time, we can help keep our hearts healthy and pumping with a little due…
Managing Diabetes During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Diabetes Is Still Here, Too You’ve heard a lot about the deadly coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, and maybe even some types of cancer, for good reason lately. However, it seems that Diabetes has taken a back seat in terms of importance. If you’re one of the many people who have Diabetes,…
Peripheral Artery Disease in Dallas
Dallas Has a Vascular Disease Problem We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but people in the United States, more specifically Dallas, aren’t getting healthier. Despite a new diet fad popping up on social media every other month, and every fast food chain trying to capitalize on the…
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) – Silent but Deadly
Over 18 million Americans have Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD), yet over half of them are unaware. PAD is a serious disease affecting the arteries that supply blood to the legs and feet. When excess cholesterol builds up in these arteries, blood flow is reduced. This reduced flow robs the tissue…
Leg Pain Could Be Serious
Muscle cramping in your hips, thighs, or calves when you walk, climb stairs, or exercise could be a warning sign of a serious disease called Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). PAD affects over 18 million Americans and can lead to amputation and even death if left untreated. Many Seniors chalk leg…
The Link Between Diabetes and Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
Peripheral Arterial Disease, or PAD, occurs when blood vessels in the legs are narrowed or blocked by fatty deposits, causing a decrease of blood flow to the feet and legs. PAD is a condition where many of the arteries that lead to areas outside the brain and heart become blocked….
Taking Steps to Better Health
If your legs or hips hurt when you walk, climb stairs or exercise it could be due peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD occurs when certain arteries narrow due to blockage. This most often affects the arteries servicing the legs, but it can affect the arteries to the arms, chest, and…
Take Your Socks Off!
In these colder months of winter it feels good to wrap up, put on some warm fuzzy socks and sit by a nice fire sipping a hot drink. It’s not typically the time of year to think about taking off your socks, but maybe you should. The Center for Disease…
Take Control of Your Health
Being diagnosed with peripheral artery disease (PAD) means that you don’t have time to slowly ramp into a healthier lifestyle. In order to maximize your efforts, not only is it important to make healthy food choices but in order to reverse artery blockage, it may also be necessary to make…
Substitutes for Better Health
By now most Americans know in order to live a longer, more productive life they need to exercise regularly and make healthy food choices. Those who have been diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) especially should make these changes. However, most find that knowing what they are supposed to do…
Should you be tested for Peripheral artery disease?
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is when the blood vessels carrying your blood from your heart to your extremities have narrowed or are blocked by plaque. PAD is a growing health problem throughout the United States and according to the Center for Disease Control nearly 75% of those who have PAD have not been diagnosed. …
Benefits of Losing Weight
It seems that everyone is trying to lose weight these days. There are many choices out there – the Paleo diet, the Keto diet, the low-carb diet, the low-fat diet, the high-protein diet, Intermittent Fasting, and on and on. But why? Why do so many people want to lose weight? Many people decide to lose weight because they…
