The ovaries are female reproductive organs that have the shape of an almond on the right and left side. Every month, one of the ovaries releases an egg in a woman who is in the reproductive age in readiness for fertilization. If fertilization does not occur, this egg is lost together with the inner wall of the uterus as menstrual blood. Ovarian Cysts are sacs that contain fluid in the ovaries. It is common for most women in Freehold, New Jersey to get ovarian cysts at some point in their life.
Most ovarian cysts do not have any symptoms and most of them go away on their own without any treatment. Other women develop symptoms like pelvic pain in Freehold, which may be unbearable, thus necessitating treatment. The doctor takes a medical history, does a physical examination, and then orders laboratory and imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis of ovarian cysts before offering treatment.
What Are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cysts?
Most ovarian cysts are asymptomatic. The symptoms of ovarian cysts vary in different women and depending on the size of the cyst. Some of the symptoms of ovarian cysts include pelvic or lower abdominal pain that can be dull or sharp. The pain may be located on the side of the affected ovary. Bloating and having a feeling of heaviness and fullness in your abdomen and ovary are other symptoms of ovarian cysts.
When an ovarian vein ruptures, it may cause bleeding. If you lose a lot of blood, you may experience dizziness and lightheadedness. Severe bleeding can cause shock, which presents with cool and clammy skin and shortness of breath. If you have an infection in an ovarian cyst, you may have symptoms of an infection, like fever and vomiting.
When you have a large cyst in one of your ovaries, this cyst can make the ovary twist. Ovarian torsion is a condition that results when an ovary twists and presents with severe pelvic pain that occurs suddenly. Torsion of the ovary can block the blood supply to the ovary causing the ovary to undergo ischemia. If the ischemia stays for a long duration you may lose the ovary.
What Causes Ovarian Cysts?
There are different types of ovarian cysts. The two types of functional cysts include follicular cysts and corpus luteum cysts. If an ovarian follicle fails to rupture and release an egg, this follicle continues to grow into a follicular cyst.
Corpus luteum cysts occur when the ovarian follicle releases an egg and starts producing estrogen and progesterone in readiness for fertilization. Most functional cysts are asymptomatic and resolve without treatment within three menstrual cycles. These cysts are harmless.
Other types of ovarian cysts include dermoid cysts, which contain a mixture of hair, skin, and teeth; they develop from embryonic tissues. Cystadenomas develop on the surface of the ovary. Dermoid cysts and cystadenomas are large and increase the risk of ovarian torsion. Endometriomas are ovarian cysts that develop due to endometriosis.
The risk factors of ovarian cysts include hormonal imbalance that can happen after taking drugs that enhance fertility. You can also get an ovarian cyst during pregnancy or if you have endometriosis. Ovarian infections and having an ovarian cyst in the past also put you at risk of getting another cyst in the future.
Ovarian cysts are sacs that are filled with fluid in the ovaries. There are different types of ovarian cysts including functional cysts, dermoid cysts, cystadenomas, and endometriomas. Your risk of getting ovarian cysts increases if you are on fertility inducing drugs, are pregnant, or have ovarian infections.
