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Painful Ovarian Cysts

Bidisha Mukherjee
Growth of cyst is a part of normal functioning of the ovary. However, painful ovarian cysts are likely to be serious. Read on to know more about this health problem.
Ovarian cyst is a common occurrence in women, particularly during the childbearing age. It is believed that almost every woman will have this once in her lifetime. These cysts are tiny sacks with some fluid content and are located either inside or on the surface of the ovaries. Usually, they are considered harmless. However, some of the m may turn cancerous if left untreated and can be painful. Thus, painful ovarian cysts should not be ignored.

Main Causes

Pain from these can be felt in the lower stomach region. If the cause of the pain can be identified, the treatment becomes easier. The pain may get too serious to be ignored, mainly due the following two reasons:

Increase in Size

When the size of the cyst grows to an abnormally large size, say 10 cm and more, then it can give rise to a pain in the lower abdomen. The pain may be confined to only one side or get extended to both sides of the abdomen. In such cases, it could happen that the cyst may turn into a tumor. The symptoms of this condition include acute pain, pressure on the urinary bladder, as a result of which it becomes difficult to relieve oneself.

Torsion of the Cyst

Due to twisting of the cysts, sometimes, the fallopian tube may get twisted as well and give a severe pain to the pelvis. In some people, the pain can be for just few minutes and in others, a dull pain would continue for a number of days.
This kind of pain is often identified incorrectly as the pain experienced during the menstrual cycle. This is observed quite often among the teenagers with abnormality in fallopian tube. Painful ovarian cyst during pregnancy can occur due to the twist of the cyst and it is usually removed surgically without causing any harm to the unborn baby.

Types

Hemorrhagic Cysts

This type is very painful. They are also referred to as haematocyst, blood cyst, or hematoceles. The common symptoms are pain on the right side of the lower abdomen and heavy bleeding. This type of cyst is formed when there is a breakage in any of the blood vessel in the system. The blood thus released, gets into the ovary and forms a clot. Due to breakage in such a cyst, a large amount of blood may flow into the abdominal cavity.

Endometrioid Cyst

The main cause is endometriosis. This type is formed when a small part of the endometrial tissue ruptured after bleeding, gets deposited in another area, and grows in size. As more and more blood is accumulated in the tissue, it becomes dark brown in color, and thus is also known as chocolate cyst.
This condition gives rise to a severe and persistent pain. The pain becomes unbearable when such a cyst breaks down. The fluid content of the cyst may get transmitted into the uterus, bowels, or the pelvis.

Polycystic Ovary

When a number of follicular cysts are developed inside the ovary, it is called polycystic ovaries. Health care professionals are not yet sure about the exact cause of formation of this type of ovary. It has been assumed that genetic weaknesses or lack of certain hormones are responsible for the formation.
This does not have a regular growth, but when it increases in size, it may become quite painful. The symptoms have a similarity with endometriosis or diseases of pelvic inflammation.
For temporary relief, you can apply warm water on the cyst for some time. Vitamin supplements can help in the reduction of the pain. However, it is advisable to completely treat the problem so that it does not recur in the future.
Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.