Functional cysts in the ovary do not harm the person or cause symptoms in most cases, and they go away without medicines too. However in cases where medicines are needed, their aim is to provide relief from the symptoms that may include pain in the pelvic region. The medications also attempt to stop ovulation and thus prevent the formation of cysts, particularly if they keep coming back. This is achieved through birth control medications.
Medications For Ovarian Cysts In The Initial Stage
Functional cysts of the ovary usually disappear within a span of 1 to 2 menstrual cycles. After this, your doctor might recommend that you stay under regular observation without any medicine for the purpose of determining if the cyst is disappearing or growing in size by itself. Expect another 'Pelvic Exam' conducted by your health professional within 4 to 8 weeks for further confirmation of how the cyst is behaving.
After a few menstrual cycles if the ovarian cyst still does not improve, the doctor could carry out tests to see whether any other type of growth in the ovary is causing this problem. At such times over the counter medication to relieve pain and the application of heat could reduce some of the annoying symptoms.
Ovarian Cysts Medicines on an Ongoing Basis
An ovarian cyst which persists through more than two menstrual cycles should be checked out. If an ultrasound shows the there's something amiss or you start exhibiting symptoms of cysts in the ovary, treatment has to start on you through medications or through surgery. Your gynaecologist could suggest that you keep using birth control pills for some time so that more cysts don't get to form.
Surgery as relief
If, despite medical treatment, an ovarian cyst which is functional but is causing a good deal of pain, refuses to go away, a surgery (cystectomy) through the use of laparoscopy (causing an incision which is small) could have to be done to remove it. However if an ultrasound brings out something unusual or the gynaecologist feels that there could be a risk of ovarian cancer, a surgery by way of a bigger incision in the abdomen through laparotomy may require to be carried out.
Surgery could also be needed to confirm the presence of ovarian cysts. And if ovarian cancer is suspected, surgery will also be required for gauging the state of ovarian growths. You must realise however that surgery does not provide a permanent solution in the matter of ovarian cysts. It can only work if it is used to remove the ovaries altogether. What would require surgery are situations where the cyst or the ovary have been ruptured or twisted (torsion), where there is severe pain or bleeding, where the cyst is more than 3 inches or is pressing on some of the other abdominal organs, the cyst is not going away although and two or three months have elapsed since its detection and where these months have covered a couple of menstrual periods and finally, where the ultrasound has discovered something suspicious.
Apart from confirming the cyst, surgery should also confirm that there is no cancer in the ovary. Surgery should also be able to eradicate the pressure on bladder (in cases where there is a larger cyst - more than 3 inches), and relieve the source of the pain.
But although the application of surgery could prove effective for the treatment of ovarian cysts, some studies have also shown that it could lead to complications as well. These complications could include problems of access, of operative procedures and physiological complications involving pneumoperitoneum.
Surgery Choices
Surgery choices can be broadly divided into two types - in case of small incisions it is laparoscopy and when the abdomen area needs to be cut it is laparotomy. Laparoscopy is often used to confirm the presence of ovarian cysts in woman who are still capable of bearing children. Non-cancerous ovarian cysts, even if they are persistent, large or painful, can be removed easily by laparoscopy. The ovary is spared in such a procedure. Laparotomy is opted for cysts that have grown too large. This is also the preferred mode of surgery for cases involving ovarian cancer, or if when there are problems in the abdomen or in the pelvic region. For a patient with cancer, a larger incision is required to enable the surgeon to study the area closely to remove the cancerous growth, which is a difficult proposition with laparoscopy.
Factors to be thought of
A major consideration in the treatment of ovarian cysts is whether the woman concerned is menopausal or not, because the risk of cancer in the ovaries increase significantly in such women. So it is necessary to be extra careful when checking the ovarian growths of women past this stage. In fact, many doctors would immediately suggest that the ovaries be removed i.e. oophorectomy if they find that cysts have developed on any ovary of a menopausal woman. However, the current trend of thought in medicine is not to perform surgery on women past menopause if the cysts are small and simple. Among cysts which are dangerous are the Unilocular cysts which are housed in compartments and have thin walls. These could be cancerous after menopause.
Holistic approach
The problem can be solved easily if holistic approach is selected at an early stage. It is actually the least painful and the simplest solution as well for treating cysts in the ovary. 'Prevention is better than cure' - this is what this approach believes in. The holistic approach tries to identify the main causes why the cyst is getting formed and tries to stop them. This is done through optimism and physical fitness. The holistic approach offers new hope for ovarian cysts.
Medications For Ovarian Cysts In The Initial Stage
Functional cysts of the ovary usually disappear within a span of 1 to 2 menstrual cycles. After this, your doctor might recommend that you stay under regular observation without any medicine for the purpose of determining if the cyst is disappearing or growing in size by itself. Expect another 'Pelvic Exam' conducted by your health professional within 4 to 8 weeks for further confirmation of how the cyst is behaving.
After a few menstrual cycles if the ovarian cyst still does not improve, the doctor could carry out tests to see whether any other type of growth in the ovary is causing this problem. At such times over the counter medication to relieve pain and the application of heat could reduce some of the annoying symptoms.
Ovarian Cysts Medicines on an Ongoing Basis
An ovarian cyst which persists through more than two menstrual cycles should be checked out. If an ultrasound shows the there's something amiss or you start exhibiting symptoms of cysts in the ovary, treatment has to start on you through medications or through surgery. Your gynaecologist could suggest that you keep using birth control pills for some time so that more cysts don't get to form.
Surgery as relief
If, despite medical treatment, an ovarian cyst which is functional but is causing a good deal of pain, refuses to go away, a surgery (cystectomy) through the use of laparoscopy (causing an incision which is small) could have to be done to remove it. However if an ultrasound brings out something unusual or the gynaecologist feels that there could be a risk of ovarian cancer, a surgery by way of a bigger incision in the abdomen through laparotomy may require to be carried out.
Surgery could also be needed to confirm the presence of ovarian cysts. And if ovarian cancer is suspected, surgery will also be required for gauging the state of ovarian growths. You must realise however that surgery does not provide a permanent solution in the matter of ovarian cysts. It can only work if it is used to remove the ovaries altogether. What would require surgery are situations where the cyst or the ovary have been ruptured or twisted (torsion), where there is severe pain or bleeding, where the cyst is more than 3 inches or is pressing on some of the other abdominal organs, the cyst is not going away although and two or three months have elapsed since its detection and where these months have covered a couple of menstrual periods and finally, where the ultrasound has discovered something suspicious.
Apart from confirming the cyst, surgery should also confirm that there is no cancer in the ovary. Surgery should also be able to eradicate the pressure on bladder (in cases where there is a larger cyst - more than 3 inches), and relieve the source of the pain.
But although the application of surgery could prove effective for the treatment of ovarian cysts, some studies have also shown that it could lead to complications as well. These complications could include problems of access, of operative procedures and physiological complications involving pneumoperitoneum.
Surgery Choices
Surgery choices can be broadly divided into two types - in case of small incisions it is laparoscopy and when the abdomen area needs to be cut it is laparotomy. Laparoscopy is often used to confirm the presence of ovarian cysts in woman who are still capable of bearing children. Non-cancerous ovarian cysts, even if they are persistent, large or painful, can be removed easily by laparoscopy. The ovary is spared in such a procedure. Laparotomy is opted for cysts that have grown too large. This is also the preferred mode of surgery for cases involving ovarian cancer, or if when there are problems in the abdomen or in the pelvic region. For a patient with cancer, a larger incision is required to enable the surgeon to study the area closely to remove the cancerous growth, which is a difficult proposition with laparoscopy.
Factors to be thought of
A major consideration in the treatment of ovarian cysts is whether the woman concerned is menopausal or not, because the risk of cancer in the ovaries increase significantly in such women. So it is necessary to be extra careful when checking the ovarian growths of women past this stage. In fact, many doctors would immediately suggest that the ovaries be removed i.e. oophorectomy if they find that cysts have developed on any ovary of a menopausal woman. However, the current trend of thought in medicine is not to perform surgery on women past menopause if the cysts are small and simple. Among cysts which are dangerous are the Unilocular cysts which are housed in compartments and have thin walls. These could be cancerous after menopause.
Holistic approach
The problem can be solved easily if holistic approach is selected at an early stage. It is actually the least painful and the simplest solution as well for treating cysts in the ovary. 'Prevention is better than cure' - this is what this approach believes in. The holistic approach tries to identify the main causes why the cyst is getting formed and tries to stop them. This is done through optimism and physical fitness. The holistic approach offers new hope for ovarian cysts.
About the Author:
Mary Parker is a certified nutritionist and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, Ovarian Cysts No More . For Further Information: Ovarian Cysts
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