Ovarian Cysts - What Triggers Them?

Although ovarian cysts present little or no symptom in the earlier stage, certain symptoms may occur during the later stages if the cysts persist for a long time. These mainly include abdominal bloating or swelling, pelvic pain during menstruation, and pain during sexual intercourse. Other symptoms such as tenderness in breasts and nausea may also occur.

Treatment of ovarian cysts normally includes the use of oral contraceptives or birth control pills to stop ovulation and to cause the cysts to disappear. If the cysts are small and further tests rule out cancer, then doctors may advise laparoscopy to surgically remove the cysts. In case of a large cyst, a laparotomy may be advised. An incision is made in the abdomen to remove the cyst.

Ovarian cysts cannot be prevented as there is no known cause of it. However, routine gynecological examinations can help detect ovarian cysts early and timely treatment prevents further complications such as PCOD, ovarian torsions, and ruptures cysts, which may cause infection and in rare cases, ovarian cancer.

Follicular cysts and corpus luteum are the types of ovarian cysts. Follicular cysts are eggs released during a woman s menstrual cycle that get collected in a sac. When these sacs do not break open to release the eggs, they develop into cysts on the ovaries. Corpus luteum cysts, on the other hand, develop when the follicle sacs do not dissolve after releasing eggs and develop a fluid inside. Other types of cysts include dermoid cysts containing fat, hair and other tissues and cystadenomas, which are non-cancerous growth that develops on the outer surface of the ovaries. Endometriosis is a condition in which tissues lining the uterus develop outside the uterus.