5 questions every man is afraid to ask his doctor

As a urologist, Ryan Berglund, MD, regularly fields difficult — and often embarrassing — questions from his patients and from callers on a local radio show on Friday evenings.

Here are the 5 most common urology-related questions he gets and his answers to each.

1. Is it normal to feel something in my testicles or scrotum?

There are a lot of normal structures outside the testicle in the scrotum.

Some abnormal things:

• Something that feels like a bag of worms in your scrotum, particularly on the left side, is a collection of abnormally large blood vessels called varicocele. This can lead to infertility and decreased testicle size.
• Hydrocele is fluid collected around the testicle.
• Spermatocele is excess fluid or a cyst in the epididymis.
• The varicocele, spermatocele and hydrocele are abnormal, but most people don’t do anything about them.

If you feel an actual lump inside the testicle, there is a concern of testicular cancer.

A man should examine his testicles once a month in the shower, supporting the testicle with one hand and feeling with the other hand. If you feel a hardness or irregularity inside the testicle, it’s important to contact your doctor.

2. What does normal semen look like? When should I worry?

Normal semen is thick and white, but it can have different consistencies.

• Blood in the semen, if it’s persistent, is a condition called hematospermia, and may relate to a prostate problem.
• If you have a foul-smelling ejaculate with pain, have your doctor check for infection.

3. I am a young man and cannot get an erection. Is that normal?

The risk of having severe erectile dysfunction under the age of 50 is less than 5 percent, so it’s worthwhile to chat with your primary physician if you encounter that problem.

Erectile dysfunction at a young age may relate to:

• A past trauma
• A vascular problem
• A disease that affects the nerves or blood vessels, such as diabetes or hypertension.

Some prescription drugs, illegal drugs, and smoking can also cause erectile dysfunction.

4. What is the normal range of penis size?

The normal range is about 3.5 to 7.5 inches, with the average about 5.5 inches.

5. Can you make it larger?

For a normal-sized penis, there’s no safe way to make it larger.