7 Signs You’ve Got An Ovarian Cyst You Shouldn’t Ignore
Think of ovarian cysts as the pimples of the reproductive system: mostly benign, sometimes painful, and annoying AF.
Usually, your ovaries (those reproductive organs where eggs are produced) chug along according to schedule. But sometimes, they can develop ovarian cysts—tiny fluid- or tissue-filled sacs that are typically NBD...until, well,.
Hold on, tell me a little more about ovarian cysts
“The vast majority of ovarian cysts are benign, follicular cysts that come and go with your cycle and need no further management,” says Taraneh Shirazian, M.D., a gynecologist at NYU Langone Health, specializing in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. You likely don't even notice them—according to the Office on Women's Health (OWH), most women make at least one cyst each month, due to their regular periods.
But sometimes, the cysts are too large, there are too many, or they just don't go away on their own, says Shirazian. In those cases, surgery could be required so they don't become cancerous or cause too many hellish symptoms.
And "hellish" isn't an understatement—if a cyst (or cysts) start causing issues, you'll feel it; and, left untreated, problematic cysts could rupture or even grow large enough to make your ovary twist around the fallopian tube, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). That's known as ovarian torsion, which can cause sudden, severe pain and the possible loss of your ovary.
Luckily, those little cysts show signs once they start to go rogue—here's what to look out for, so you can call your doctor ASAP and get things taken care of.
1. You have some pretty awful pelvic pain.
The most common ovarian cyst symptom is pain in the lower right or left side of the pelvis, right where the ovaries are, says Shirazian—and it doesn't go away. “You might feel it when you exercise, you might feel it when you’re sexually active, but it will be a pain in that specific place that is constant and stays even after your menstrual cycle goes away.”
If the pain becomes severe or even unbearable, it's a sign that you might have an ovarian torsion, says Shirazian. When that happens, it cuts off the ovary's blood supply, which causes really bad pain, says Shirazian—the type that will send you straight to the emergency room (hopefully).
2. You're feeling super-bloated.
Swelling is obviously a vague symptom, but it can be related to ovarian cysts depending on their size. “Most women experience cysts under 10 centimeters. But some cysts can grow to be very big, like the size of a watermelon,” says Eloise Chapman-Davis, M.D., a gynecological oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian.
“Many women will write that off as weight gain, but abdominal pain and bloating could be the result of a mass growing in the stomach. So if the weight is only in your stomach, or you can't figure out any reason you'd be gaining weight in the first place, that's a red flag.
3. You feel full all the time.
Like with uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts can cause a feeling a heaviness in the abdomen. “A cyst is a mass, and it’s occupying space, which can give you that feeling of pressure,” says Shirazian.
Sure, you can get a somewhat similar feeling with constipation, but unless you have cysts in both ovaries, this sensation will only strike one side of your pelvis. If your bathroom habits are fine, but you've been feeling this way for two to three weeks, it's worth finding out if an ovarian cyst might be to blame, Chapman-Davis says.
4. You don't want to have sex because it hurts.
Here's the thing: Sex should never hurt, so if it does, it means something is up. If you’re having penetrative sex and you feel pain on one side versus the other, there’s a chance it could be related to an ovarian cyst.
“Some cysts, when they become big, can fall behind the uterus, and in that case are sitting right by your cervix,” says Chapman-Davis. “So you might feel pain with deep penetration.” Endometriomas (ovarian cysts related to endometriosis) can also cause pain during sex, because they’re located closer to the cervix, she adds.
5. You feel like you have to go pee all the time (but sometimes can't go).
Another symptom of ovarian cysts that many women mention, according to Chapman-Davis, is feeling the urge to pee all of the time. “If the cyst is pushing against your bladder, you may feel like you have to urinate,” she says. “Or some women feel that they need to go more frequently, but it’s harder for them to go,” because of a blockage by the cyst.
6. You have constant back or leg pain.
Of course, back or leg pain could be attributed to a ton of different things, but if your doc has ruled everything else out, it might be worth exploring an ovarian cyst as a reason.
Ovarian cysts can hurt your back or legs when they become too big.“You don’t have that much room in your pelvis, so when a cyst gets too large, depending on where it is in the pelvis, it can lead to back or leg pain,” says Chapman-Davis, explaining that cysts can compress the nerves that run along the back of your pelvis.
7. You're experiencing bleeding outside of your normal cycle.
When ovarian cysts develop, they can mess with your hormones—women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which basically means they develop tons of little cysts on their ovaries, can often experience irregular bleeding, whether due to frequent ovulation or a lack of ovulation.
That's because of an imbalance of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, says Alyssa Dweck, M.D., ob-gyn and author of The Complete A to Z for Your V. If you're experiencing other symptoms commonly associated with PCOS, like weight gain, fertility issues, and acne, it's best to bring it up to your doc.
If you have ovaries, you should know what ovarian cysts are—not because they’re necessarily dangerous, but because they’re an incredibly common occurrence that could potentially lead to painful health issues.
Ovarian cysts are fluid- or tissue-filled sacs or pouches that form in or on an ovary (you have two of those, FYI), according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). “The vast majority of ovarian cysts are benign, follicular cysts that come and go with your cycle and need no further management,” says Taraneh Shirazian, M.D., a gynecologist at NYU Langone Health specializing in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. “But about 20 percent of women experience cysts that don’t go away, and could require surgery.”
Some of those other types include corpus luteum cysts, which occur when a follicle releases an egg but the sac doesn’t shrink and instead fills with fluid; cystadenomas, which are filled with watery fluid; dermoid cysts, which are typically asymptomatic and can actually have hair, fat, and teeth in them (don’t Google it); and endometriomas, which are caused by endometriosis.
“A lot of the symptoms that come with ovarian cysts are common to a number of gynecological issues, but if you’re experiencing symptoms daily for 2-3 weeks, or there’s a significant change to what’s normal for you, you need to see a doctor,” says Eloise Chapman-Davis, M.D., a gynecological oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian. “Your cycles come and go, so pain should go away, right?” adds Shirazian. “If it doesn’t, go in and have an ultrasound at the very minimum.”
The reality is, though, that most women with ovarian cysts don’t actually experience symptoms—instead, the cysts are found during routine pelvic exams or other unrelated tests. And many of the symptoms you might experience do overlap with other gynecological issues. But if you’re experiencing any of the issues below, you could dealing with an ovarian cyst—and you should make an appointment to see your ob-gyn.
1. Pelvic Pain
The most common symptom of ovarian cysts is pain in the lower right or left side of the lower pelvis, right where the ovaries are, says Shirazian. If you have a larger growth somewhere where there isn’t supposed to be one, you’re going to feel it. “You might feel it when you exercise, you might feel it when you’re sexually active, but it will be a pain in that specific place that is constant and stays even after your menstrual cycle goes away.”
2. Severe or Sharp Pelvic Pain
One of the most urgent concerns when it comes to ovarian cysts is severe or sharp pain, the kind that might feel like appendicitis pain. “This is called ovarian torsion,” says Shirazian. “This happens when a cyst becomes larger and more mobile and twists in on itself, cutting off its blood supply, which causes that really bad pain.” This is the kind of pain that should send you straight to the emergency room.
3. A Sensation of Fullness
Like with uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts can cause a feeling a heaviness in the abdomen. “A cyst is a mass, and it’s occupying space, which can give you that feeling of pressure,” says Shirazian. It’s not going to have a visual effect, as uterine fibroids might, but you might feel a sense of satiety or pressure on one side of the pelvis versus the other.
4. Swelling
Swelling is obviously a vague symptom, but it can be related to ovarian cysts depending on their size. “Most women experience cysts under 10 centimeters. But some cysts can grow to be very big, like the size of a watermelon,” says Chapman-Davis “Many women will write that off as weight gain, but abdominal pain and bloating could be the result of a mass growing in the stomach.”
5. Urinary Urgency or Constipation
Another symptom many women mention, according to Chapman-Davis, is feeling the urge to pee all the time. “If the cyst is pushing against your bladder, you may feel like you have to urinate,” she says. “Or some women feel that they’re need to go more frequently, but it’s harder for them to go,” because of a blockage by the cyst.
6. Pain During Sex
If you’re having penetrative sex and you feel pain on one side versus the other, there’s a chance it could be related to an ovarian cyst. “Some cysts, when they become big, can fall behind the uterus, and in that case are sitting right by your cervix,” says Chapman-Davis. “So you might feel pain with deep penetration.” Endometriomas, which are related to endometriosis, can also cause pain during sex, because they’re located closer to the cervix, she adds.
7. Back or Leg Pain
“You don’t have that much room in your pelvis, so when a cyst gets too large, depending on where it is in the pelvis, it can lead to back or leg pain,” explains Chapman-Davis. “There are nerves that along along the back of the pelvis from certain muscles, which can get compressed and give you that feeling of sciatica or something similar.”
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