Bleeding Ovarian Cyst Requires Immediate Care

By Amanda Clark

Most women experience ovarian cysts but many never know them have them. When a bleeding ovarian cyst occurs, however, immediate treatment is required.

In order to understand the treatment, it's helpful to understand how ovarian cysts can form.

A woman's ovaries are two organs about the size of walnuts, located on each side of the uterus. Each month, an egg grows in a sac called a follicle inside the ovary. When levels of estrogen rise in the normal menstrual cycle, the egg ripens and is released from the ovary. At the same time the uterus lining thickens to prepare itself for the possibility of a pregnancy. When the egg isn't fertilized, the uterine contents are discharged in the menstrual period.

Sometimes, an ovary - one of the two walnut-sized organs on either side of the uterus where eggs ripen - fails to release an ovum. The small sac that holds the egg, called a follicle, can close itself off around the unreleased ovum and fill with fluid. Doctors call this kind a "functional cyst."

Another type of ovarian cyst forms when the follicle doesn't dissolve normally after releasing an egg. A cyst that results from this condition is called a "corpus luteum cyst."

Unfortunately, ovarian cysts of any type can rupture and bleed, causing both pain and inflammation in the pelvic area. Bleeding ovarian cysts can occur at any time, resulting in spotting or bleeding between periods and severe pain.

Ovarian cysts can be detected during an examination involving an ultrasound test. The cysts look like bubbles in the ovaries. Most ovarian cysts are not to related to an illness, are not cancerous, and usually dissolve on their own within a few weeks. However, any time a bleeding ovarian cyst occurs, pain and pelvic inflammation result. A woman who suspects she may have a bleeding ovarian cyst should see her doctor right away, or go to an emergency room for treatment if the pain is severe. - 29962

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