Ovarian cyst pain management and what to watch for

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Ovarian cyst pain management and what to watch for]

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[Text on screen: Meenal Misal, MD
Ob/Gyn physician
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center]

Meenal Misal, MD: For people who are having various discomforts with ovarian cyst, we would recommend over-the-counter ibuprofen, Tylenol, heating pads and being gentle with yourself. But some women do have severe pain, and if you have sharp, sudden, severe pain associated with nausea and vomiting, you need to go to the emergency room to evaluate for ovarian torsion.

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Ovarian torsion is when an ovary twists on its own blood supply, which blocks blood flow to the ovary and can impact the health of the ovary and is also very painful. One risk factor for ovarian torsion is having a large ovarian cyst or different types of ovarian cysts. For example, a dermoid cyst may increase your risk of ovarian torsion. Symptoms of ovarian torsion include extreme, sharp, sudden pain. People often describe being doubled over in pain, unable to walk, and many times, you'll have nausea and vomiting. Simple cysts are generally not painful unless they're quite large, eight centimeters or greater. Other types of cysts are more associated with pain, such as endometriomas. 

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An endometrioma is an ovarian cyst full of old blood and endometriosis tissue, and these are associated with severe pain with periods, with intercourse, or daily pain.

[Text on screen: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit: go.osu.edu/gynecology]

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