Pain in
ovaries is a
common complaint among women of all ages. The nature and
intensity of the pain may fluctuate and its cause is
often obscure. In some cases the disease is not very
evident. The pain could be psychological, which can make
the pain feel worse or actually cause a sensation of
pain, when no physical problem is present. Pain in
ovaries can be acute meaning
the pain is sudden and severe or chronic lasting over a period of
months or longer.
Some
of the more common causes of pain in ovaries could
be:
- Ectopic
pregnancy - a pregnancy that occurs outside the
uterus.
- Pelvic
inflammatory disease.
- Twisted
or ruptured ovarian cyst.
- Miscarriage
or threatened miscarriage
- Ruptured
fallopian tube.
- Menstrual
cramps.
- Endometriosis.
- Adhesions
- scar tissue between the internal organs in the
pelvic cavity.
- Ovarian
cancer.
During the
menstrual cycle, the ovaries produce a follicle and this
releases an egg at the end of the cycle. A follicle that
does not disintegrate and/or releases an egg into the
ovarian space becomes a cyst. The follicle may
accumulate and secrete a fluid growing in size and
eventually forming a cyst in that area. Normally, within
one or two menstrual cycles these cysts very naturally
disintegrate and disappear from the ovaries. The process
of ovulation can bring about sudden painful sensations
due to these cysts in some women.
Pain in
the ovaries which
occurs during menstruation may be menstrual cramps or it
may indicate a problem in a reproductive organ. This
includes conditions such as endometriosis, when tissue
from the uterus is displaced and attaches to the pelvic
wall or ovaries, ovarian cancer, or pelvic inflammatory
disease – an infection causes due to a sexually
transmitted disease.
Usually,
ovarian pain is unilateral and diagnosis depends greatly
on when the pain occurs. If ovarian pain occurs in
the middle of a menstrual cycle (mittelschmerz), it is diagnosed as
ovulation pain. Pain may be due to torsion of an
ovarian cyst producing a unilateral lower abdominal
pain. Severe pain indicates necrosis at the site
of the torsion. If there is a hemorrhage into an
ovary or ovarian cyst the pain will be similar but is
less severe. A ruptured ovary will produce
unilateral ovarian pain and signs of peritoneal
irritation which may be similar to that of
appendicitis.
Pain in
the ovaries must
always be thoroughly checked out by a medical doctor
before starting treatment. While a conventional
treatment may be necessary if there is a malignancy,
holistic treatments can be quite effective in regaining
the natural rhythm and health of the body at the same
time eliminating discomfort and cause of the
pain.
