Bloating, cramping, nausea: These are just a few terribly uncomfortable symptoms that are often linked to your reproductive system. In some cases, the underlying issue is an ovarian cyst. At AllSafe Medical Group in Los Angeles, Torrance, and Downey, California, the team teaches you about ovarian cysts and can remove them if they’re causing problems. If you want to reduce the number of cysts that you get or have one removed, call AllSafe Medical Group, or reserve an appointment online today.
An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled growth that develops on the side of one of your ovaries. You have two ovaries, and they’re responsible for producing your eggs and your female hormones.
Cysts might sound abnormal or scary, but they’re extremely common. In fact, most women develop at least one ovarian cyst over the course of their lifetimes. In most cases, they’re completely harmless and go away without treatment.
If you get lots of ovarian cysts, you might have a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). If you have this and don’t get treatment, it can cause infertility.
In many cases, ovarian cysts don’t cause any symptoms at all. They can come and go without your ever knowing that you had one. However, a growing cyst can cause symptoms for some women. You might notice:
If a cyst bursts, the symptoms are much more severe and require prompt medical attention. A ruptured cyst can cause severe pain in your pelvis and symptoms of a fever.
Although there are several types of ovarian cysts with different causes, the most common kind, called a functional cyst, happens as the result of your menstrual cycle. There are two types of functional cysts:
In the middle of your menstrual cycle, an egg comes out of its follicle and travels down the Fallopian tube toward the uterus. If the egg doesn’t emerge, but the follicle continues to grow, a follicular cyst develops.
A corpus luteum cyst develops after the follicle releases the egg if the follicle begins to fill with fluid.
Most ovarian cysts are harmless and symptomless. If you don’t know that you have a cyst, it should go away without treatment. If your physician at AllSafe Medical Group finds a small ovarian cyst during an imaging test, they can make a small incision in your abdomen to access and remove the cyst.
Larger cysts are removed in a similar way. The team tests the cyst for signs of cancer and may recommend a hysterectomy if the test comes back positive.
If you get recurrent cysts, your provider may prescribe birth control pills to stop your ovulation cycle and thus stop new cysts from developing.
If you feel that an ovarian cyst has ruptured or is causing symptoms due to its growth, call AllSafe Medical Group, or request an appointment online today.
