Blue Balls

QUESTION

I've given up on masturbation, however, throughout daily life there are things that will arouse me and I eliminate those thoughts as soon as they come so I do not fall into lust. However, I'm now dealing with the "blue balls" problem. How do I treat this problem?

DOCTOR'S ANSWER

In a phrase, this too shall pass. "Blue balls" results from pelvic vessels engorging with blood (vasocongestion), causing not only an erection, but also plumping up testicles, prostate, seminal vesicles, and so forth. The swelling can turn uncomfortable, especially if your body has been trained to expect quick relief through ejaculation (be that through masturbation or sex). The good news is that it – the engorgement pain -- doesn’t last all that long, you’ll have less of it over time, and this too shall pass. Also, our bodies may or may not unload with a nocturnal emission, aka, a wet dream. By the way, this same process can also happen in women and causes vaginal pain, but no catchy phrase for it has caught on quite yet.

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Andre Van Mol, MD

Dr Andre Van Mol, MD is a board-certified family physician. His education included the University of Southern California, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Charleston Naval Hospital, and the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice, and member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Christian Medical & Dental Associations. Dr. Van Mol serves on the boards of Bethel Church (where he is also an elder), Moral Revolution, PrayNorthstate, and iBranches (safe home for children victims of domestic minor sex trafficking). He speaks and writes on bioethics and Christian apologetics, is experienced in short-term medical missions, and is a former US Navy officer (family physician and carrier air wing flight surgeon). He and his wife, Evelyn (also a former Navy officer) – both of whom were Canadian born and raised in America – live in Redding, CA, with their two sons, one daughter, and a reasonably steady stream of foster children.

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