by US Army Africa

Functional Ovarian Cyst: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

Functional ovarian cysts in most cases are benign in nature and do not cause any trouble or even any symptoms. These cysts are generally discovered only during a “Routine Pelvic Exam”.

A functional cyst is basically nothing but formation on the ovary`s surface of a sac. This is common during the ovulation. In fact the ovary holds the maturing egg, and generally this sac goes away after the egg is released. But if for some reason the egg is not released or the opening through which the egg is released gets closed up then the sac continues to grow in size.

Functional cysts are quite different from other growths in the ovary that can be caused because of other reasons such as cancer or some such complicated reason. As mentioned above, functional cysts do not cause any trouble. But in some rare cases, the cyst might twist over itself, rupture or bleed and this is when it causes a terrible pain.

Why functional ovarian cysts occur

A functional cyst occurs due to unusual changes that happen during the process when the egg is made released by the ovary. The functional cysts can be of two different types: follicular cysts occur when the sac doesn’t let the egg go and the fluid gets swelled. The other type is the luteal cyst that occurs when after the egg gets released by the sac, it again gets resealed with fluid inside it.

Why they occur and their symptoms

The symptoms of functional cysts are proportional to the cysts size. These symptoms are acute pain in lower part of the abdomen when the female is in the middle of her menstruation cycle. There might be a delay in the start of the menstrual cycle. And there might also be bleeding from the vagina even when there is no period during that time.

In cases where the functional cyst ruptures, or twists, breaks open or bleeds the symptoms might include pain while having sex, abrupt to severe pain with nausea and vomiting. Please keep in mind the first are the twisted cyst symptoms, and the later one is of a ruptured cyst.

Diagnosis followed by treatment

A pelvic ultrasound helps in diagnosing a functional cyst. This confirms that the cyst contains fluid. The doctor rechecks the condition after the patient has covered two to three menstrual cycles. This cyst normally disappears by then. This disappearance can in fact be fastened with the help of the holistic approach. In the case of excessive bleeding doctors generally prescribe birth control pills in order to stop ovulation thus preventing the occurrence of more cysts. A holistic approach if followed helps in the removal of the functional cysts painlessly and also prevents any new cysts from appearing.

Holistic approach

Conventional methods are based on the fact that treatments of the functional cysts are varied out on the symptoms rather than the root cause. This is why the holistic system scores over the conventional methods. It believes in eliminating the root cause naturally. It also emphasizes on balanced dietary habits, mental and physical health and strengthening the immunity of the body and various other aspects related to healthy living.

The fast pace of life of today not only brings comforts but also brings along lots of stress invoked due to lack of sleep, anxiety, tensions, emotional issues and other such factors that create pressure that are difficult to avoid today.

Root causes of ovarian cysts

It has been proved by research that the factors just mentioned play a vital role in the formation of PCOS and ovarian cysts. This leads to an increase in the level of sugar in the blood, anovulatory cycles and the immunity becoming weaker. Opting for birth control medications pills as the solution for functional cysts also shuts downs the ovary’s functioning. Metabolism is affected by the xenobiotics diet. Prescription drugs also negatively affect the menstruation cycle because the hypothalamus` functioning becomes impaired.

Working on autoimmune disorders or weakened system of immunization

When the immunity system is already weak because of various reasons such as a deficiency in nutrition, accumulation of toxins in large quantity, stress, prolonged use of antibiotics and steroids, the body actually becomes susceptible to every type of disease. In this condition the body actually becomes unable to protect itself. It is even unable to restore the normal hormonal balance or to naturally eliminate the toxins. The holistic approach takes care of the body in this situation and keeps various diseases at bay. Even the occurrence ovarian cysts may be avoided if the holistic approach is adopted.