Cysts on ovaries: What You Need To Do If You Discover You Have Cysts On Your Ovaries.

Cysts on ovaries come about as a result of a woman’s normal ovulation process, but before we discuss that further, let’s answer the question – what are cysts?

Cysts are small fluid or semi solid filled sacs that develop on a woman’s ovaries. They are most common in women in their reproductive years and tend to resolve naturally without any medical intervention.

Most cysts are harmless but some can become may cause problems such as bleeding, rupturing, and abdominal pain.

How do Cysts On Ovaries Come About?

Women normally have two ovaries that store and release eggs on a monthly basis. Each ovary about the size of a walnut can be found on each side of a woman’s uterus.

One ovary produces and releases an egg each month, as part of a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle.

The egg is enclosed in a sac called a follicle and this follicle grows inside the ovary until the hormone estrogen signals the uterus to prepare itself for the egg. The follicle containing the egg is then released from the ovary.

The follicle itself then releases it’s content – the egg. This egg then travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus.

The shell that is left behind after the follicle has released the egg is called Corpus luteum

In turn, the uterus begins to thicken itself and prepare for pregnancy. If the egg is not fertilised all the contents of uterus as expelled as part of the monthly menstrual cycle.

If a follicle after being released from the ovary fails to rupture and release the egg, the fluid remains and forms a cyst on the ovary.

Ovarian cysts tend to resemble bubbles; filled with fluid and surrounded by thin walls. This type of cyst is called a functional or simple cyst and affects women of all ages.

Most of them are also benign (meaning non-cancerous) and tend to disappear on their own within a few weeks without any form of treatment.

Different Types of Cysts That Form On Ovaries:

The most common ovarian cyst is the Follicular cyst and it is formed when ovulation (the release of the egg by the follicle) does not occur or when a mature follicle collapses on itself.

It can grow to about 2.3 inches in diameter and when it ruptures can create sharp severe pain on the side of the ovary on which the cyst appears. Usually, these cysts produce no symptoms and disappear by themselves within a few months.

Other types of cysts on ovaries include the Corpus luteum cyst: This type of functional ovarian cyst occurs after an egg has been released from a follicle.

After this happens, the follicle becomes what is known as a corpus luteum.

If a pregnancy does not occur, the corpus luteum breaks down and disappears. It may, however, close up on itself, fill with fluid or blood, and remain on the ovary.

Hemorrhagic cyst: This type of functional cyst occurs when bleeding occurs within a cyst.

Dermoid cyst: This abnormal cyst usually affects younger women and may grow to 6 inches in diameter.

This cyst is similar to those present on skin tissue and can contain fat and occasionally bone, hair, and cartilage.

If you reading this article then chances are you have some sort of ovarian cyst that has refused to resolve itself and you would like to know what to do.