Is My Pelvic Pain Abnormal?
Pelvic pain can either be acute or chronic, depending on the duration of the pain. Pain in the pelvis area for more than 6 months is considered chronic. However, in some severe cases, the pain occurs all of a sudden, requiring awareness and medical attention. There are multiple causes of pelvic pain, of which some occur all of a sudden such as ruptured ovarian cysts.
General causes and associated symptoms
There are many causes of pelvic pain in women, such as ovarian cysts, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, fibroids, and cancer. Other possible causes seen in men and women include pelvic inflammatory diseases, appendicitis, hernia, urinary tract infections, and kidney infections. Pelvic pain sometimes is accompanied by other symptoms. These symptoms include painful urination, vaginal or rectal bleeding, pain during intercourse, and changes in bowel movements.
Is my ovarian cyst serious?
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs found in the ovaries and there are many kinds of ovarian cysts. However, the cyst is serious when the ovarian cyst ruptures associated with intolerable pain. Sudden sharp pain in the lower right pelvic pain is seen in a ruptured ovarian cyst. Along with sudden sharp pain, a patient experiences symptoms such as bleeding, pain during sex, weakness, and gastrointestinal symptoms. This type of abnormal pelvic pain requires immediate medical care.
Why does a cyst rupture?
Generally, during a woman’s childbearing age, few functional ovarian cysts are formed and are considered harmless. The main cause of an ovarian cyst rupture is unknown. However, there are some risk factors such as a history of ovarian cysts, cysts break after sex, or strenuous exercises. Sometimes the size of the cyst makes a difference, large cysts tend to be fragile and break easily.
How to manage my cyst?
Ruptured ovarian cysts are either uncomplicated or complicated. Uncomplicated ruptured ovarian cysts are treated with conservative treatment. The non-surgical treatment includes observation and pain medications. Complicated ruptured ovarian cysts are managed by surgery. The gynecologist will advise on the best treatment to resolve the symptoms based on the intensity of the pain.
What happens if ignored?
If the pelvic pain is not taken seriously, further complications can be risky. Some complications include excessive bleeding and infection. These complications can spread to other areas of the body and can be critical to a patient’s life.
When to contact the doctor?
Ovarian cysts are considered normal and harmless and can resolve without any treatment. However, if the cyst is accompanied by severe pelvic pain and other symptoms, contact the gynecologist as soon as possible. If the pelvic pain does not resolve with conservative treatment, seek medical help. A delay in treatment can put a patient’s life in danger.