Ovarian Cyst And Pregnancy : The Facts

By Amanda Clark

Having an ovarian cyst and pregnancy is quite common nowadays. This is rather strange, since cysts are technically abnormal but surprisingly true. Ovarian cysts are formed when a sac filled with blood, tissue, or fluid develops. In a pregnancy, these cysts typically have fluid in them.

There are different types of ovarian cysts. Most cysts during a pregnancy are functional. This means that they occur because of normal functions in the ovaries. Luteum and follicular cysts are the two types of functional cysts. Some women choose to use birth control to prevent this normal function.

The corpus luteum is responsible for making progesterone and helps begin pregnancy. It is a small sac that ranges in size from 2 cm to 6cm. It leaves the ovaries following the egg and remains in the body for early pregnancy. When it remains longer than it should it can form a luteum cyst. Most of the time there are no symptoms, but if there are they typically go away by the second trimester.

The follicle holding the unfertilized egg can also develop into a cyst. This type of functional cyst is called follicular. During a pregnancy, the follicle dissolves and the egg is released and fertilized. When there are more than one egg, the extra eggs are not always released. This follicle may not dissolve and rather form into a cyst and grow. Most follicular cysts also go away by the second trimester.

Just because they are functional doesn't mean there isn't pain. Functional cyst can grow quite large and cause problems. A ruptured cyst can mean several hours of abdominal pain. If a cyst attaches to the body it may began to twist. Twisting can also cause lots of pain and even nausea from blocked blood supply.

Ovarian cancer is frequently a worry of most women who have ovarian cysts. This is because ovarian cysts can be cancerous. However, ovarian cancer is prevalent amongst menopausal women. It is very rare that an ovarian cyst in a pregnancy is cancerous.

Having an ovarian cyst during your pregnancy is nothing to fear. A doctor is able to diagnose and remove them if they become a serious concern. However, many will just go away on their own - 31802

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