What Is an Ovarian Cyst?
An ovarian cyst is a sac or pouch that forms on or inside a woman’s ovary and is filled with fluid or other tissue. The small reproductive glands on each side of your uterus that make hormones and store and release eggs are known as ovaries. They are common and usually harmless (not cancerous).
Ovarian cysts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The functional cyst, which develops as a result of ovulation, is the most common (when the ovary releases an egg).
Functional cysts are usually asymptomatic and disappear on their own without therapy. Other types of ovarian cysts can cause symptoms and necessitate medical attention.
Ovarian Cyst: What Causes
Although the exact cause of ovarian cysts is unknown, they are thought to develop when the ovaries produce too much oestrogen.
Signs and Symptoms?
Smaller cysts, on the other hand, usually have few, if any, symptoms.
- Abnormal menstrual blood
- Pelvic discomfort or a dull backache
- Bloated feeling in the belly
- Pain during intercourse
- Painful periods
- Pain during bowel movements or pressure on your bowels
- Pressure on your rectum or bladder – difficulty emptying your bladder entirely.
- Ruptured cysts can cause significant abdominal pain and swelling.
Diagnosis
An ovarian cyst can be discovered during a normal pelvic exam or physical exam, when the doctor examines for lumps or alterations in the reproductive organs.
Additional tests include
- Blood tests
- Ultrasound. sound waves are used to create images of the uterus and ovaries, exhibiting cysts and their shape, size, location, and composition (fluid filled, solid or a mix).
- Laparoscopy. To observe the ovaries, a thin tube with a camera on the end (laparoscope) is introduced through a small incision in the belly.
- Laparoscopy can also be done to extract tissue samples for testing or to treat cysts.
What Is the Treatment for Ovarian Cyst?
Treatment is determined by your age, cyst kind and size, and symptoms. There are several treatment options available, including:
Waiting with bated breath. If you have a small, fluid-filled cyst with no symptoms, this is a common approach. The cyst will be followed up on by the doctor on a regular basis.
Pills for birth control.
To prevent you from ovulating, lowering your chances of developing new cysts.
Surgery
If the cyst is large, developing, not a functional cyst, or producing pain or other symptoms, it may need to be removed.
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a short tube with a camera on the end (laparoscope) is put into the belly through a small incision, allowing the surgeon to observe and remove the cyst. It can also be removed via laparotomy (open abdominal surgery).
Hysterectomy
If found to be malignant, the doctor may remove one or both ovaries as well as the uterus (hysterectomy).
