Body Care Facts & Health Tips

A woman’s life is full of health issues which require her to take a lot of care. Ovarian cysts are a common problem, during the years when a woman is capable of childbirth. These cysts are basically fluid filled sacs, not too different from blisters, which form on either side of the uterus. Thankfully though, most types of ovarian cysts are pretty harmless and fade away on their own.

Having said this, you should also know the various categories into which ovarian cysts have been classified. They are:

• Functional cysts, which are naturally formed during the process of ovulation. They tend to shrink in size and gradually disappear within three menstrual cycles. Menopausal women cannot suffer from functional cysts because ovulation does not happen in them.
• Dermoid cysts are those that are filled with different types of tissues and sometimes even skin and hair.
• Cystadenoma cysts develop on the outer surface of ovaries.
• Endometrioma cysts are related to endometriosis and form when tissue attaches to the ovaries.
• Polycystic ovarian disease is a result of the buildup of follicles. The ovaries enlarge and become thicker from the outside. This can prevent ovulation and thus cause fertility issues.

But what it is that causes ovarian cysts? Well, formation of cysts is a part of the monthly process of ovulation (production of the egg cell) within a woman’s body. A follicle is formed within the ovary when this process occurs. From the follicle a structure called the corpus luteum is formed, which normally gets dissolved if the egg cell is not fertilized.

However, at times, the dissolution does not take place and cysts are formed. The more serious types of cysts, such as those in the polycystic ovarian disease usually occur as a result of hormonal imbalance.

This brings us to the symptoms of ovarian cyst or how you can know whether you have a problem. Well, unfortunately cysts do not produce any symptoms. What they do however, in some cases, is cause a dull pain in the abdomen.

This pain may be heightened during intercourse. You can treat this as a warning sign that the cyst may have burst or is bleeding. The pain may also be caused due to twisting of the cyst, which prevents the flow of blood.

Occasionally you may also have extremely painful or delayed periods and must consult your doctor immediately, to make sure that it is not a cyst.

And what if it is a cyst? Well, fret not because ovarian cysts can be treated. However, the success of the treatment depends on the size and type of the cyst, your age and your pregnancy plans. Here are a few ways in which doctors treat these cysts:

• If it is a functional cyst, you are asked to wait for two or three months, to allow it to disappear on its own.
• In case this does not work, you may be prescribed oral contraceptives or hormonal injections to help reduce the size of the cysts.
• When the above step fails, surgery may be required. If the cysts are discovered early the surgery is less invasive. Delayed surgery may require the removal of the ovary to remove a potential threat to life.

Well, that’s everything you need to know about ovarian cysts.

Tags: abdomen, blisters, blood, childbirth, corpus luteum, cystadenoma cysts, dermoid cysts, endometrioma cysts, follicle, functional cysts, hormonal imbalance, hormones, ovarian, ovarian cyst, ovulation, polycystic ovarian, uterus

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at 7:13 am and is filed under Contraception, Infertility, Pregnancy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.