# Why does overindulging in pizza make your testicles ache? (Potential for TMI) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821 "2003-08-26T19:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/1 "2003-08-26T19:54:33Z")
Okay, in my years of bachelorhood, I have often rhetorically asked “Why? Dear God, _why?_” when afflicted with the condition that I have come to think of as “Pizza balls” – the dull ache in your soft parts that lasts long after the associated digestive distress has passed. Experientially, it seems as though the direct cause of the pain is trauma to the testes received from prolonged involuntary constriction of the scrotum. Why does this happen? Is there some sort of broad directive to tighten up everything in that general area in order to prevent all hell from breaking loose? (Seems unlikely to me, since the scrotum isn’t a muscle.) Why? Dear God, _why?_ ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/2 "2003-08-26T20:00:37Z")
What kind of pizza are you eating?!? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Brad\_Amundsen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@Brad\_Amundsen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brad_Amundsen)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/3 "2003-08-26T20:16:23Z")
Dude!!! It’s only You!!! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/4 "2003-08-26T20:22:37Z")
Please don’t tell me I’m the only one this happens to. You mean you guys can eat nothing but pizza for a couple of days and not feel as though you’ve been kicked? What, do I have some sort of hitherto unclassified allergy or something? ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/5 "2003-08-26T20:31:22Z")
Perhaps. I ate pizza about 5 times this past weekend and did not (nor have I ever) feel what you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/6 "2003-08-26T20:31:46Z")
I’ve been known to eat an entire pizza,and no testicle pain. I think its only you dude :D. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/7 "2003-08-26T20:33:53Z")
See a doctor…now. Your “boys” are trying to tell you something. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/8 "2003-08-26T20:36:40Z")
What exactly sort of pizza is served in Vancouver? I guess I’ve got something else to add to my list of Canadian / USer differences. 1. Canadians who eat too much pizza get achy testicles. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/9 "2003-08-26T20:36:51Z")
Never happened to me either. See a doctor, just to be on the safe side. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/10 "2003-08-26T20:42:26Z")
Mine hurt when I smash them with a hammer but not when I eat pizza. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/11 "2003-08-26T20:51:23Z")
Heh! This has NEVER happened to me. Matter of fact, I can’t think of anything that _does_ make my tes… [sub]oh. Never mind.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/12 "2003-08-26T21:07:18Z")
I can’t imagine approaching a doctor about it, since the obvious answer to the problem is to avoid eating too much pizza. (“Too much” is generally two small pizzas within a 12-hour period – shouldn’t be that hard to keep a reign on.) Maybe a more general question would be more sensible– Is a tightened scrotum a normal symptom of indigestion? Could it be that my purse is just too small relative to my testicles? (They’re not that big, honest.) I don’t recall ever having “the ache” after swimming in the ocean, although that might be because my intolerance for cold keeps the frequency and duration of that sort of silliness pretty close to zero. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/13 "2003-08-26T21:13:18Z")
This isn’t your version of American Pie, is it? ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/14 "2003-08-26T21:19:18Z")
Do they do this when you have a bunch of pasta or other instances of tomato sauce? Maybe you have a nightshade-family-plants problem? OH OH OH I see, this is bowel strain pain, not from eating pizza but from the aftermath, right? Hmm. I’m a girl but after events of serious gastrointestinal distress and bathroom drama that general area does ache a bit-- I assume it’s general muscle and tissue ache from the strain and trauma. I guess if I had balls that would be a analoguous effect. Your phrasing of the question is a red herring, IMO. How about “Why does pooping my guts out make my abdominal-genital-urinary-pelvic area ache?” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/15 "2003-08-26T21:22:27Z")
Pepperoni cajones? ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/16 "2003-08-26T21:52:59Z")
Sorry, **Larry**. you’re on your own with this one. If your balls hurt after eating two pizzas, don’t eat two pizzas. If your sack shrinks after eating two pizzas, don’t eat two pizzas. I’m assuming you’ve studied the type/brand/location/takeout vs. delivery vs. homemade matrix to spot the culprit. Please tell us if, for instance, it is only Domino’s sausage & onion that gives you the ball pain/scrotal shrinkage. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/17 "2003-08-26T22:02:23Z")
I found that tipping the delivery guy at least 10% of my bill keeps him from kicking me in the nuts. YMMV. -lv ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/18 "2003-08-26T22:10:17Z")
I have eaten two large pies BY MYSELF without this symptom. I’d reccomend either getting thee to a doctor, or at the least restraining your pizza consumption. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/19 "2003-08-26T22:11:26Z")
Okay, if anybody needs me, I’ll just be under my desk with a pillow over my head until this thread is on the third page or so. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821/20 "2003-08-26T22:15:34Z")
Uh, are you _sure_ you’re eating the pizza correctly? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-overindulging-in-pizza-make-your-testicles-ache-potential-for-tmi/197821.md?page=2)