If you identify as female and have female reproductive organs, there's a good chance that you like to make sure your uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina, etc. are doing well. Unfortunately though, many females aren't educated on how to keep up with their lady parts. That's why, when I found out that I might have an ovarian cyst, I freaked out. After a panicked phone call to my mother, I found out that ovarian cysts aren't as scary as they sound.
It's easy to assume the worst when thinking about ovarian cysts. No one really knows what they are, but they obviously don't belong in your body. Ovarian cysts are little (or big) sacs of fluid that attach to the ovaries. There are a few different types and causes. The most common are follicle cysts, which develop when the ovaries release an egg that does not hatch out of its follicle. The follicle will keep growing into a cyst, but these usually go away in three months. They typically don't cause any symptoms.
Sometimes, when the egg hatches out of the follicle, the follicle will reseal itself and keep growing. This is when a corpus luteum cyst forms. These cysts can cause some pain and bleeding because they may twist the ovary.
Cysts sound kinda gross, but they're definitely not as alarming as they're made out to be. In fact, ovarian cysts are actually super common, especially for females who have not gone through menopause yet or for women who are pregnant. There's no way to avoid getting an ovarian cyst. Almost every woman develops one at least once in her lifetime. Most women get them once a month, but don't even realize it.
This is because ovarian cysts rarely have symptoms unless they need attention. Common symptoms include abdominal pain or bloating, a frequent need to urinate (and difficulty urinating when you do), dull lower back pain, pain during sex, pain during periods or abnormal bleeding, weight gain, nausea and/or vomiting and a loss of appetite along with feeling full quickly.
Though cysts are common and usually harmless, if you have these symptoms, it's important to see a gynecologist. They can perform an ultrasound, CT scan, PET scan, MRI or blood test to detect a cyst. If you have one, they can keep track of it and make sure that it doesn't grow rapidly or cause any complications. Sometimes, cysts can be indicators of endometriosis (when the lining of the uterus grows outside the actual uterus), cystadenomas (cysts that can grow quickly and become painful) or polycystic ovary syndrome (when the body develops many small ovarian cysts at once, which could affect fertility).
Noncancerous cysts are pretty easy to take care of. Usually, they'll go away on their own, so you won't have to worry, or your doctor will just keep track of the cyst's growth. You may be put on birth control or another medication. If a cyst needs to be removed, it can be done laparoscopically (through a small incision) if it's small, or through a laparotomy (through a big incision) if it's big.
In very rare cases, cysts can be cancerous, which is why it's important to keep up with your gynecologist appointments so they can catch these quickly and stop ovarian cancer before it gets really bad. Once again, it is very rare for an ovarian cyst to be cancerous. Only 8 percent of women who have not gone through menopause yet develop cysts that need treatment. If you're diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and experience fever, vomiting, sudden and severe abdominal pain, dizziness/weakness and rapid breathing, go to the emergency room.
Basically, ovarian cysts are things that occur and are really nothing to worry about. If you show symptoms, definitely visit a gynecologist, but there's no need to panic. As long as you're keeping up with your appointments, you should be fine. In the meantime, embrace your vagina and have an estrogen-filled day.
