Pain below the belt should never be ignored by men. Here are a few things you should keep in mind if you have pain in the pelvic or groin area.
If you have a burning sensation when you urinate or if you have an urge to urinate, but nothing really comes out, you could have a urinary tract infection (UTI). If you have these symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor or urologist. You may need antibiotics to treat the infection. UTIs are not as common in men as they are in women, so men may be guided to have other tests to see if something else is causing the UTI.
Pain in the pelvic area, coupled with a hard time urinating and having flu-like symptoms, could mean you have prostatitis. Prostatitis is an inflammation or infection of the prostate gland. Make an appointment to see your health care provider if you think you have prostatitis. If it is caused by a bacterial infection, you may need antibiotics.
If you have sudden testicular pain that feels similar to a sharp kick to the groin, and it is accompanied by swelling of the scrotum or being uncomfortable when you talk or walk, you may have testicular torsion. Torsion is when the flow of blood to a testicle gets cut off because the cord that connects the testicles to the body becomes twisted. It is vital to get to a doctor right away with torsion. If you do have testicular torsion, it's an emergency because the testicle will become damaged without proper blood flow.
Pain in the penis during erections and/or changes in curvature of the penis may be due to a relatively common urologic condition called Peyronie's Disease. Fibrous scar tissue can form in the penis leading to these changes. Treatments are available and should be discussed with your health care provider.
Jason Jameson, MD is a urologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona focusing on Men's Health, Male Sexual Dysfunction, and General Urology.