In general, cyst is a term that refers to the presence of a membrane that forms a closed sac filled with semisolid, gaseous, or liquid material. Cysts can be microscopic or quite large. Most cysts will appear with or without symptoms when a woman ovulates, and often pose no significant health hazard. Through this article, learn how to recognize the symptoms of cysts and treat the cysts that form in your body!
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Method 1 of 3: Recognizing Ovarian Cyst Symptoms
Step 1. Check for abdominal abnormalities
One of the most common symptoms of ovarian cysts is an abnormality or problem in the abdomen. For example, your stomach may appear enlarged or swollen due to the presence of cysts in it. In addition, the lower abdomen will feel full or depressed.
- Chances are, you'll also experience sudden, unexplained weight gain.
- In addition, pain may also arise in the right or left lower abdomen. Although it is very rare, sometimes it will occur on both sides at the same time! Generally, the pain that appears is temporary or comes and goes on its own; The intensity will be different for each person.
Step 2. Be aware of problems with your excretory function
Some of the less common symptoms of ovarian cysts may cause problems with your excretory function. For example, you may have difficulty urinating or feel pressure in the bladder area. As a result, the frequency of your urination will increase, but the process of removing urine from the bladder cannot be maximized. In addition, you may also have difficulty defecating.
If the cyst ruptures, you will experience sudden, severe pain and may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting
Step 3. Be aware of discomfort during sexual intercourse
Another less common symptom of ovarian cysts is discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. In addition to feeling pain during penetration, you may also feel discomfort in the pelvic area or in your thighs and lower back. In addition, your breasts may also feel more sore than usual.
Another symptom is the appearance of pain during the menstrual cycle, or the occurrence of abnormal vaginal bleeding outside of menstrual periods
Step 4. Identify risk factors for ovarian cysts
In fact, there are several factors that increase the risk of ovarian cyst formation in your body. If you experience symptoms of ovarian cysts and have the following conditions, chances are that you have ovarian cysts. Various risk factors to watch out for:
- Have a history of cysts
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Menstruating since the age of under 12 years
- Infertility or have had fertility therapy
- Poor thyroid function
- Treatment of breast cancer with tamoxifen
- Smoking and/or using tobacco products
- Chronic inflammatory conditions
Method 2 of 3: Doing Medical Treatment
Step 1. See a doctor
If you have an ovarian cyst and experience sudden, abnormal pain in the abdominal area, or if the pain is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and fever, call your doctor immediately or go to the nearest Emergency Room. Also call your doctor if you experience cold sweats, fever, dizziness, or shortness of breath.
For women who are postmenopausal and have ovarian cysts, understand that your risk of developing ovarian cancer will increase. Therefore, you will need to have an ultrasound and a CA125 and/or OVA1 blood test; both are markers of many different health disorders, including ovarian cancer. The OVA-1 test is even specifically intended to detect the presence or absence of ovarian cancer in your body. If deemed potentially cancer-causing, the cyst should be removed immediately
Step 2. Perform a pelvic exam
In fact, the symptoms of ovarian cysts cannot be diagnosed medically. Therefore, the doctor may perform a pelvic examination to detect the presence or absence of ovarian cysts in your body. Through this examination, the doctor can determine the condition of the swelling that is relevant to the ovarian cyst.
Although it really depends on other symptoms you have, your doctor may ask you to do more tests to measure hormone levels and rule out other health problems
Step 3. Get ready to take a pregnancy test
Most likely, the doctor will also recommend the test to be done. In fact, women who are pregnant may have corpus luteum cysts in their bodies. This type of cyst forms after the egg is released, and the empty follicle is filled with fluid.
Chances are, doctors also need to rule out the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy, which is a condition when the implantation of the embryo occurs outside the uterus
Step 4. Perform imaging tests
If the doctor finds a cyst in your body, you will most likely need to do some imaging tests such as ultrasound to find out the location and character of the cyst in more detail.
Imaging tests help doctors to know the size, shape, and location of the cyst more accurately. In addition, the doctor will also be helped to detect whether your cyst is fluid-filled, solid-textured, or a combination of both
Step 5. Remove the ovarian cyst
Since most ovarian cysts go away on their own, there's nothing wrong with waiting patiently as long as your symptoms aren't too bothersome. For some women, taking hormone pills can work quite effectively to cure the cyst. However, about 5-10% of women need surgery to remove the cyst in their body.
- Small complex cysts can be removed through a laparoscopic procedure. In this procedure, the doctor will make a small incision in the abdomen and remove the cyst through the incision.
- To treat cysts that are more severe, large, or potentially cancer-causing, you may need a laparotomy. In this procedure, your doctor will make a large incision in your abdomen to remove the cyst or even remove your ovaries.
Method 3 of 3: Identifying the Type of Cyst
Step 1. Learn the causes of ovarian cysts
In the middle of your monthly cycle, one or both of a woman's ovaries will release an egg. During this process, cysts can form if there is a problem or hormonal imbalance, fluid flow blockage, infection, conditions that cause inflammation such as endometriosis, inherited health disorders, pregnancy, age, and various other causes.
- Ovarian cysts are quite common in women who are still of reproductive age. In addition, its appearance is often asymptomatic. This type of cyst is known as a functional cyst, and it often resolves without treatment.
- The potential for ovarian cysts to appear will be lower after women experience menopause. However, do not assume that all women who have gone through menopause and have cysts are at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Step 2. Understand that functional cysts are not a serious health problem
In general, functional cysts may be follicular cysts that appear in areas of mature egg in the ovaries, or corpus luteum cysts that appear in empty follicles after the egg is released. Both are a normal part of your ovarian function. Most follicular cysts are painless and go away on their own within one to three months.
Corpus luteum cysts usually go away on their own after a few weeks. However, in some cases, cysts can also enlarge, twist, bleed, and cause pain. The appearance of a corpus luteum cyst can be caused by the use of drugs (such as clomiphene) in fertility therapy
Step 3. Identify nonfunctional cysts
In fact, there are various types of cysts that are not functional or unrelated to ovarian function. No need to worry because generally, the presence of the following cysts will not cause pain.
- Endometrioma: These cysts are commonly associated with a condition called endometriosis, which causes uterine cells to develop outside the uterus.
- Dermoid cysts: These cysts form from embryonic cells, not fetuses, which do not grow properly. Generally, the presence of these cysts is painless.
- Cystadenomas: These cysts can be large and filled with watery-textured fluid.
- In women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), hormonal imbalance causes many small cysts to form in their bodies. Understand that this condition is very different from a single ovarian cyst disorder.
