Life
Testicular Self-Examination
Why should you do it
Small things make a big change in our life, one of them is Testicular self-examination (TSE) which takes less than a minute to do and can help you detect any changes in testes at an early stage.
Once you start to examine your testes at regular intervals, you become familiar with the shape and how your testes feel. Any changes in shape and consistency can help you diagnose abnormalities at an early stage, which might result in better outcomes.
Most testicular cancers are diagnosed between ages 20 to 50 and when diagnosed early this cancer now has very good outcomes.
Who has a high risk of testicular cancer?
- People who have a history of undescended testicles at birth (cryptorchidism)
- History of infertility, or decreased sperm counts.
- Family history of testicular cancer, or history of cancer in other testes.
How often should you do it?
Ideally, you should examine your testes once a month.
What to expect when you examine?
When you examine your testes, they should feel smooth with no abnormal areas. It is common to have a slight difference in the size and location of testes. Which should not be a cause of concern.
How to Do it?
The best time to perform self-examination is after taking a bath in front of a mirror ( you can see what you are feeling )
Start from one side and then examine the other. Gently examine one testicle by rolling between thumb and fingers and try to feel for any abnormal areas. Identify cord-like structure on the underside ( called the epididymis ).
When to worry?
When you note a change in shape, size, consistency, or note a new swelling you should contact your doctor immediately. The examination should be painless if you feel pain while examination you should contact your doctor immediately.
Dr. Abhishek Laddha
Consulatnt Urology and Uro-oncology.
Dr. Ginil Kumar
Consulatnt Uro-oncology.
