What to Know About Ovarian Cysts; Symptoms and Its Causes

Ovarian Cysts National Institutes of Health NIH Raquel Rodriquez Dr. Adrienne Mallen

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Aug 01, 10:14 pm

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs in the ovary. They are common and usually form during ovulation. Ovulation occurs when the ovary releases an egg each month. Many women with ovarian cysts don't have symptoms.

Most ovarian cysts present little or no discomfort and are harmless. The majority disappear without treatment within a few months. However, those that have ruptured can cause serious symptoms. Regular pelvic exams and knowing the symptoms that can signal a potentially serious condition are the ways to protect women's health.

It usually develops as a result of a menstrual cycle or functional cysts. Other types of cysts are much less common.

According to Women's Health, women make at least one follicle or corpus luteum cyst every month. You may not be aware that you have a cyst unless a problem causes the cyst to grow or if multiple cysts form. About 8 percent of premenopausal women develop large cysts that need treatment.

Postmenopausal women with ovarian cysts are at higher risk for ovarian cancer.

Look out for signs and symptoms of ovarian cysts

Raquel Rodriquez, 25, shared her health battle on TikTok to raise awareness and encourage women to advocate for themselves and their health. Her doctors found a cyst on her ovary in 2016 while testing to determine why she was experiencing a severe kidney infection and had to be hospitalized.

In June, on her 25th birthday, Rodriguez underwent a two-hour surgery to remove the cyst, which weighed 10 pounds and carried more than four liters of fluid.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Although ovarian cysts affect millions of women annually, only around 5- to 10 percent of women, like Rodriquez, have cases severe enough to require surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.

Bloating, needing to urinate more often, pelvic pressure or pain, or abnormal vaginal bleeding can be the symptoms or signs of a cyst or other serious problem.

Prioritizing women's health

Dr. Adrienne Mallen, a gynecologic oncology specialist at HealthPartners, based in Bloomington, said, "The abdominal cavity, I tell people it's like thinking of the inside of a beach ball. It's easy to hide growths. The body is pretty adaptive, so it can be very easy to not notice something in that area, and sometimes it's not noticed until it comes out of what we refer to as the pelvis, especially in women's bodies."

Mallen added that because there is no standard way to check women's ovaries, ovarian cysts can often go undetected.

According to a gynecologic oncology specialist, the best test is a pelvic examination with a doctor and ultrasounds, which can help determine if a cyst is benign. There is no standard test where you can check your ovaries except if you have a problem.

According to Penn Medicine, an ultrasound may be done to detect a cyst, but to ensure that the cyst is gone, it can be checked by the healthcare provider in 6 to 8 weeks. Other imaging tests that may be done when needed are CT Scan, Doppler Flow Studies, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI.