Literally translating to ‘sac of water’, a hydrocele is a cavity or duct that retains fluid; the scrotum is one of the most common body areas where it occurs. A hydrocele usually occurs in one side, but some cases feature a hydrocele in both testes.

In most cases, the cause of hydroceles is unknown. But, in children, a hydrocele in the scrotum usually develops during pregnancy - when the tunnel that connects the abdominal cavity to the male scrotum seals off the wrong way, leaving fluid trapped in the testicles. If the tunnel has completely sealed itself off, the fluid will be retained in the scrotum, if it has only partially closed, the fluid can move from the abdominal cavity to the scrotum and back. The former results in a non-communicating hydrocele, and the latter ends up in a communicating hydrocele.

In older men, the most common causes for the development of a hydrocele are either infection or injury in the testes or fluid retention in the lower half of the body.

More often than not, a hydrocele is asymptomatic so people don’t feel the symptoms. It, however, is most commonly represented by a boost in the testes’ size. While it’s considered generally painless, it can nevertheless pose some inconvenience - especially to older men.

What’s good is that people who need intervention can easily do so, with the many types of hydrocele treatment that they can have.

The first of this is also the simplest: do nothing. Older people who don’t have an issue with their hydrocele don’t have to worry about doing anything about it. Or, if they want to change their minds, they can easily move on to more hydrocele treatment options.

Hydrocele surgery is also a good choice. People who wish to live a better life without their hydroceles can benefit a lot from this. The fluid from the scrotum is drained by making a small incision in the area or in the lower abdominal wall. Also, hydrocele surgery ensures that the chance for the same incident in the future would be minimized by completely sealing off the tunnel from the abdomen to the scrotum. To learn more about hydrocele and its treatment, please click this link .

The last hydrocele treatment option that you can go for is drainage. In this treatment method, a syringe and needle are used to drain the fluid from around the testicles. This is for people who are not fit or don’t want hydrocele surgery. The problem with this, though, is that the hydrocele fills up with fluid again, after some time. So, this hydrocele treatment necessitates a commitment to constant and consistent sessions.