What are the dangers of epididymitis?

Epididymitis is harmful to men, such as reducing sperm motility, blocking sperm passages, forming anti-sperm antibodies, etc. These conditions are directly harmful to the quality or survival of sperm. Patients with epididymitis should not choose folk remedies for treatment on their own, as this may not only have no therapeutic effect, but also lead to worsening of the disease.

Reduce sperm motility

After the epididymis is infected by pathogens, some pathogens can directly cause damage to the sperm in the epididymal duct, such as Escherichia coli, which can inhibit the activity of sperm and cause sperm to agglutinate, thereby reducing its motility; some pathogens, such as mycoplasma and chlamydia, adsorb on the surface of sperm, reducing their motility or even causing them to lose their motility. The toxins produced by pathogens can also kill the fragile sperm, greatly increasing their mortality rate. At the same time, body guards such as white blood cells and giant cells may also accidentally kill or injure sperm when eliminating pathogens. The large amount of metabolites produced by inflammatory reactions can also poison sperm or change the living environment of sperm, causing a decrease in sperm motility, an increase in dead sperm, an increase in the rate of abnormal sperm, and a decrease in sperm count.

Blocking the passage of sperm

If epididymitis is caused by infection with pathogens such as gonococci, tuberculosis, mycoplasma, and chlamydia, it will not only cause inflammatory reactions and damage sperm, but also easily cause the epididymal duct lumen to shrink or block, leading to incomplete or complete obstruction of the connection between the epididymal tail and the vas deferens. This is a sequela of epididymitis that is difficult to reverse. Sperm is blocked in the epididymal duct and cannot get out, thus causing obstructive oligospermia or azoospermia.

Anti-sperm antibodies

Epididymitis is also an important cause of the formation of anti-sperm antibodies in men. When the epididymis becomes inflamed, the body's immune system will immediately take action. Immune cells such as white blood cells and lymphocytes and humoral immune substances enter the inflamed epididymal duct to eliminate pathogens and produce immune cells. At the same time, the immune cells' ability to recognize the body's own tissues is significantly reduced, and they directly react with antigens on the surface of sperm or in seminal plasma to form anti-sperm antibodies. After the anti-sperm antibodies are formed, they are mixed in the semen, causing a significant decrease in sperm motility, or agglomeration, affecting the forward movement of sperm. At the same time, antibodies can also enter the blood circulation, causing a wider range of adverse effects on the function of the reproductive organs. If the immune response produced by antisperm antibodies acts on testicular tissue, it can cause special destructive effects, resulting in abnormal testicular spermatogenesis and spermatogenic azoospermia.

The above is about the harm of epididymitis. Don't we realize its seriousness? Therefore, patients who unfortunately suffer from epididymitis, please go to a regular hospital to receive effective treatment in time. I wish you a speedy recovery.