Ovarian Cysts – Signs and Symptoms
Ovarian cysts, which are fluid-filled sacs on the ovaries, affect many women. The cysts are sometimes painful and can have different forms some more severe than others.
The functional cyst is the most common found cyst on the ovaries. It forms during the menstrual cycle. When these cysts form, they hold the eggs. Each month then the sac breaks open, the egg is released. After this happens, the sac dissolves.
Sometimes a sac will not break. This is called a follicular cyst. It may continue to grow for up to three months and then disappear. Sometimes the cysts can continue to grow and cause twisting of the ovary and pain. Prescription drugs such as Clomid can raise the risk of developing ovarian cysts.
There are other types of ovarian cysts. These include endometriomas, which often affects women who suffer from endometriosis, cystadenomas, where cysts grow on the outer surface of the ovary, dermoid cysts where cells in the ovary produce growing tissue, and polycystic ovaries.
Many women who have functional cysts do not experience any pain. However, many women do. Symptoms of ovarian cysts include vomiting, severe abdominal pain, aches in the lower thighs and back, urinary difficulties, pain during intercourse, weight gain, abnormal menstrual cycles, including heavy bleeding and breast tenderness.
Ovarian cysts cannot be prevented, but the good news is that ovarian cysts rarely indicate cancer. Ovarian cysts are often found during pelvic exams or during ultrasounds. Treatment varies from taking prescriptions such as birth control pills to prevent ovulating to surgery to remove the cyst.