Blood. That bright red liquid that flows within our bodies. Lots of anecdotes and proverbs exist too, just to show the importance of blood to the human body. All of us are aware of the life-giving properties of blood. A good blood circulation ensures that the body is healthy and all the organs are working fine. When there is a disruption, or a problem in the blood supply and circulation, it can be disastrous, causing a number of problems and diseases, which are not just discomforting, but also life threatening in a few cases.
Varicocele is one of the conditions that can occur due to improper flow of blood. It is a very common condition in men, which requires timely medical intervention. Varicocele causes can be the irregular functioning of the valves present in the blood carrying veins of the scrotum above the testicle, or a compression in the valves of the testicular veins. It is a condition in which the veins that carry the deoxygenated blood away from the testicles to the heart get enlarged or swell up abnormally due to a problem in the blood circulation. This condition, although not life threatening, can lead to pain ranging from dull to severe, testicular atrophy, in other words shrinking of the testicles, and infertility in men if left untreated. Untreated varicoceles can lead to higher temperature of the testicles, thereby killing the sperms that ultimately negatively impact male fertility. Also, there is a noticeable decrease in the sperm count, motility of sperms and increase in the deformity of sperms. It is therefore essential that varicocele treatment should be done in time to avoid such issues.
Many patients suffering from varicoceles may not have pain, while few can have a mild to moderate pain, which might increase upon sitting or standing for long periods of time. In some cases a sharp pain, along with discomfort occurs. The testicles seem as if they have increased in size due to the swelling, and the scrotum has the appearance like a bag of worms.
The varicocele treatment is mainly divided into two categories:
- Non surgical
- Surgical
The latter, as the name suggests, is a full surgical procedure. The patient is usually discharged on the same day after the procedure, however the recovery takes long, about 2-3 weeks. The surgical procedure can further be divided into 3 categories, namely:
- Open surgery: incision is done on the scrotum area, groin or the upper abdomen where the dysfunctional veins are tied together through sutures.
- Microsurgical: similar to open surgery, only more complicated as a microscope is used to find out the exact affected area and sutures are accordingly applied.
- Laparoscopic: it involves general anesthesia, where an incision is made above the scrotum and robotic instruments are used to detect where the problem lies and to treat the same.
The method of varicocele treatment without surgery includes the following:
- Lifestyle modifications: there are a few dietary changes which reduce the risk of varicocele considerably. These include cutting down on white processed flour, processed sugar and other processed food and including more fiber rich food in the diet. Increasing the intake of fresh vegetables, fruits and lots of liquids in the diet leads to the body receiving healthy flavonoids, which help ease the flow of blood. Although there is no direct connection between food and varicocele, including fiber rich food in the diet is beneficial to the body in many ways. Along with this, wearing loose fitting underwear helps the testicles to relax and the blood to flow smoothly.
- Kegel exercises: kegels have been suggested by the doctors across the globe to expectant mothers for their numerous benefits. They are known to help in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles and pain management during labor. Kegels are also said to help with incontinence, and to treat varicocele treatment without surgery.
- Varicocele embolization: a well known non surgical procedure, varicocele embolization is the procedure that involves a catheter getting inserted in the skin near the groin area, directly to the testicular veins. The catheter is very thin, but effective. Post insertion, a dye is inserted into the catheter to clear the blockage in the testicular veins. In the process the affected veins are blocked, post which the blood flow resumes normally. It costs and is almost as effective as the surgical procedure. It is also a relatively pain free method of varicocele treatment and the recovery is much faster compared to surgery.
- Yoga: yoga and its benefits have been discussed since ages. It can also be effective in treating varicocele without needing surgery. Poses likes ‘legs on the wall pose’ are very helpfu. In this pose, the feet are put to the wall causing a partial inversion of the body. The back rests on the floor, supported by a yoga mat or even a pillow below the lower back for additional support. The feet are supported by the wall so its easy to hold on to this pose for longer. It causes the blood flow to improve especially in the testicular area, preventing the buildup of toxins in the body. It eliminates stress, leads to cooling of the testicles in the body, and improves overall fertility. Other asanas that help cure varicocele include Dhanurasana, Shavasana, Padmasana, Matsyasana & Vajrasana.
- Taking cool showers: one of the main reasons for varicoceles is the body getting excessively hot. Taking cool showers, or even running cool water (not too cold) over the testicular area helps the testicles to cool down, reducing inflammation and swelling, thereby helping blood flow to resume normally. Swimming, or using an ice pack also helps to cool down the testicular veins and helps in varicocele treatment without surgery.
- Medications: supplements help with varicoceles treatment as well. These include taking vitamin C, bioflavonoids, zinc, vitamin E etc. on a daily basis. Also, along with these supplements, eating a balanced meal is super important. So is staying hydrated. There are a number of Ayurvedic remedies that help tremendously.
The Varicocele treatment kit by Nirogam helps with the treatment of varicocele without the need of surgery. It is an effective varicocele medicine which helps to relieve varicocele symptoms. It also helps to treat piles and improve the overall reproductive health. It consists of three elements namely the Sukumaram Kashyam, Chirivilwadi Kashyam and Chandraprabha Vati. The former two need to be taken 30 minutes prior to breakfast and dinner with warm water, and the latter, post breakfast and dinner with warm water.
Varicoceles are not just discomforting, they could also be a subject of embarrassment for many people who do not know what to do about it. Most are not aware of other methods of varicocele treatment without surgery. What is important to know is, by making a few easy and doable lifestyle changes, and including natural supplements in one’s routine we can treat this condition and cure it completely, relieving the patient from pain and trauma. After all, everyone wants a healthy mind and body