Recognizing symptoms of an ovarian cyst

A woman’s ovaries usually are well-behaved and tend not to cause much trouble.  Located on each side of the uterus, these two glands approximately the size and shape of an almond quietly do their job each month of storing eggs that have the potential of being fertilized by a man’s sperm creating a new human life. A baby girl is born with all the eggs she will ever need – about one million in each of the ovaries.  By the time she reaches puberty, the number of eggs in each ovary has dwindled to a mere 200,000 to 400,000 with approximately only 300 to 500 of those eggs that will develop and be released during ovulation.

The fallopian tubes help connect the ovaries to the uterus with several pairs of ligaments that also connect each ovary to the uterus and pelvic wall supporting it in its position.

Formation of ovarian cysts

When an egg from an ovary is released by breaking free, it can leave a small cyst behind that secreted the hormone progesterone.  The vast majority of time, pregnancy does not occur so the cyst dissolves, a woman’s period begins and the whole process is repeated again the next month.  However, occasionally the cyst may not dissolve and instead remains on the ovary.  Generally, these cysts are never noticed and are not harmful, but occasionally they make themselves known with several symptoms that a woman will notice. 

Ovarian cysts usually have few complications and tend not to damage the ovary. If they are simply fluid cysts they rarely affect fertility.  There can sometimes be multiple cysts from the same ovary which can affect the blood supply to the ovary.  If a cyst is particularly large then in order to remove it, the entire ovary may need to be removed. 

Possible symptoms of an ovarian cyst

Most cysts a woman may get will likely go unnoticed as they will go away eventually on their own.  But, an ovarian cyst can sometimes grow large enough to cause certain suspicious symptoms indicating their presence:

·      Pelvic pain – a dull or sharp ache in the lower abdomen on the side of the cyst

·      Fullness or heaviness in the abdomen

·      Bloating

·      Deep pain with intercourse

A woman experiencing the following symptoms needs to seek immediate attention:

·      Sudden, severe abdominal or pelvic pain

·      Pain with fever or vomiting

Occasionally a cyst can rupture resulting in intense pain but generally this lasts less than a day and can be treated with pain medications.

Risk factors increasing the likelihood of an ovarian cyst

·      Hormonal problems which can include if a woman is taking the fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid) which is used to cause ovulation.

·      Pregnancy since the cyst a woman forms when she ovulates can stay on the ovary throughout the pregnancy.

·      The condition of endometriosis can cause tissue to attach itself to the ovary forming a growth.

·      A severe pelvic infection that spreads to the ovaries can cause cysts.

·      Any woman who has had a previous cyst is more likely to develop more. 

Types of ovarian cysts

Ovarian cysts can come in different forms and arise for different reasons.  In other words, they are not all the same. 

Each month, an ovary will grow a cyst-like structure called a follicle. Follicles produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone and release an egg when a woman ovulates.  Sometimes, the follicle will keep on growing and is known as a functional cyst.  There are two types of functional cysts:

·      Follicular cyst – This type of cysts begins when the follicle does not rupture or release its egg but instead continues to grow.

·      Corpus luteum cyst – When a follicle releases it egg, it begins producing estrogen and progesterone preparing for conception.  This follicle is called a corpus luteum; sometimes fluid accumulates inside the follicle, causing the corpus luteum to grow into a cyst.

Other types of ovarian cysts include:

·      Dermoid or teratomas cysts – These are probably the most unusual type of cyst – this type of cyst can contain hair, skin, teeth, or even brains – very weird.  The reason for this is the ovaries contain the precursor cells for every organ in the body and every so often, instead of turning these cells into eggs, they use the cells to create these strange cysts.  They are not cancerous but they do need to be removed surgically. 

·      Cystadenomas – These develop on the surface of an ovary and might be filled with watery or a mucous material.

·      Endometriomas – This type of cyst develops due to uterine endometrial cells that grow outside of the uterus (endometriosis).  Some of this tissue can attach to the ovary and begin to grow.