Though most women, during their childbearing age are affected with cysts in the ovary, most of them are not even aware of such conditions since many of them are harmless, benign i.e. non-cancerous and free of any symptoms. But there are others that could turn malignant (cancerous) anytime. Although their presence can be revealed during routine medical check up, proper diagnosis is often required to know the actual nature of the harboring cysts so that steps may have to be taken for their removal and/or treatment. At the outset, one may do well to know that there are 2 basic types of cysts in the ovary: the functional and the abnormal. Detailed subdivisions will follow later.
Functional
cysts are the most common types of cysts found in many
adult females. These benign ovarian cysts are subdivided
into two groups, namely, (a) Luteal cysts and (b).
Follicular cysts Follicular cysts occur during the
1st section of the cycle while luteal cysts
are seen in the 2nd half. Interestingly
enough, though most ovarian cysts are caused due to
abnormal cell growth, functional ovarian cysts are the
product of a minor alteration of the normal functioning
of the ovary.
As
for the Follicular ovarian cysts, they are totally
devoid of any symptom and may only be detected during
routine abdominal examination at the doctor`s office. As
a matter of fact, when the egg-making follicle of the
ovary releases an egg every month, the egg often does
not get released while the follicle keeps on growing,
becomes enlarged with fluid, eventually taking the form
of an ovarian cyst. Minor medication usually takes care
of the situation and the problem is resolved in course
of two or three menstrual cycle.
Luteal
cysts come up in the latter period of the cycle once the
egg has been released at the time of the ovulation.
However, as soon as ovulation takes place in a normal
cycle, the ruptured follicle develops into the "corpus
luteum" that produces a hormone called progesterone,
anticipating pregnancy. Under normal circumstances, when
the egg is not fertilized, the "corpus luteum" should
wither, progesterone level should come down and period
should start. But if the corpus luteum fails to wither,
gets full with blood and starts to grow, a luteal
ovarian cyst gets formed.
As
far as abnormal ovarian cells are concerned, there are
quite a good many, some of them may look bizarre in
formation while others are likely to turn cancerous
(though not always). Also, they are quite different from
functional ovarian cysts since they are formed out of
abnormal growth of cells. These cysts may remain forever
in their host’s ovaries or may burst, calling for
instant surgery.
One
of the freakiest abnormal cells or rather tumors is the
dermoid ovarian cyst. Basing upon the theory that the
egg has the potential to create a baby and even an
unfertilized egg can produce body tissues; a bizarre
scene comes to view when looking at the contents of a
dermoid ovarian cyst (also called teratomas). It is
often filled up with fragments of human hair, bones,
teeth and skin. Unlike conventional cysts that are
mostly pliable and are soft to the touch, dermoid
ovarian cysts are solid, hard structures that are likely
to turn cancerous any moment.
Cystadenoma
ovarian cysts, also a
type of abnormal ovarian
cyst
develops at the outside surface of the ovaries. These
cysts often grow to large size (one reportedly weighed
328 lb or 149 kg found in a
37 year old female). These
cysts reportedly occur at an early age and the cyst
turned tumor happens to be unilateral and are often
found attached by a stem to the ovary. Though they do
not usually cause any symptom but often proves extremely
painful when they twist or turn as well as
burst.
Abnormal
Endometrial ovarian cysts begin to grow in body parts
other than the womb while endometrial patches may come
up on the ovary, creating ovarian cysts that are
commonly called "chocolate cysts" because they are
mostly filled with dark chocolate colored stale
blood.
Some
females often have numerous small cysts in their ovaries
(Polycystic Ovary) that are formed from imbalances in
hormones. However, they can not be called cysts since
they are nothing but small egg follicles residing within
the ovaries. Nevertheless, the also form a part of
abnormal ovarian cysts.
No matter what the type of ovarian cyst, in most cases, holistic remedies are the best way to treat them. This is because the holistic approach treats the body as a whole and this is often required because the contributing factors of the cyst may be many. In the conventional approach, just the symptoms are treated and since the root causes remain unattended to, the cyst often returns. The holistic approach on the other hand goes deeper and identifies all the contributing factors and treats each one of them individually. This is why it is so much more successful in treating ovarian cysts.
