Ovarian Cyst Symptoms
What is an ovarian cyst?
Ovarian cyst or cysts are absolutely natural occurences in women. It's basically a fluid filled sac in the ovary. Functional cysts are those that form during the normal course of menstruation and then regress within 1-3 months. A functional ovarian cyst is necessary for ovulation. The rule of thumb is that once you are menopausal - when your hormones stop functioning, then you shouldn't be forming anymore functional ovarian cysts. In some cases, ovarian cysts are cancerous and these are the cases when immediate action needs to be taken to remove the cyst.
Ovarian cysts are really only a problem when they do not regress after 3 months eg keep getting larger and larger or if they become cancerous.
Ovarian cyst symptoms
- pain in the pelvic area which is constant and persistent
- abdominal bloating
- uterine bleeding that is not the normal menstruation eg increased duration of bleeding, no menstruation at all, irregular menstruation
- pelvic pain at the srart and end of the menstrual period
- pain during intercourse
As you can see, these symptoms can be overlooked very easily and put off as just normal or not 'big' enough to worry about. However, it is always wise to see your doctor if you start experiencing any of the above symptoms and ask your doctor if he/she suspects you could have an ovarian cyst problem. We've all heard of the horror stories of women with the above signs who've been told they were pregnant or just getting too fat when in actual fact it was an ovarian cyst that was the underlying problem all along. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Return to medical symptoms page
Ovarian Cyst Symptoms