Possible Causes of Swollen Ovaries
Swollen ovaries can be a very painful and worrisome medical issue. In most cases, a swollen or enlarged ovary often leads to pain in the lower abdominal region as well as in the back. Because the ovaries house and release a woman’s eggs, swollen ovaries can also cause one’s menstrual cycle to become erratic or unpredictable. Some women experience a period that lasts for weeks while others go months without experiencing any period at all. The cause behind an enlarged ovary may not be due to the ovary itself, but could be caused by an underlying condition which has simply gone undetected. In this case, the only way to treat the enlarged ovary would be to treat the underlying condition. Let’s take a look at a few of the conditions which have been known to cause swollen ovaries.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
While polycystic ovarian syndrome is not overly common, it does occur in about five to ten percent of women, particularly those of the reproductive age. PCOS is in fact the leading cause of infertility in women. This condition can make itself apparent during teenage years or remain unnoticed until a woman tries (unsuccessfully) to get pregnant. Many women with PCOS have small cysts in their ovaries which causes them to become enlarged. Although this symptom is not present in all cases, it is very common. PCOS is actually a hormonal disorder which produces symptoms such as abnormal menstruation, acne, excessive hair growth, uncontrollable weight gain, elevated blood pressure, and elevated insulin levels or resistance to insulin.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is thought to be a genetic disorder, as studies have shown that women who have a mother or sister with the disorder are much more likely to have PCOS. The treatments with the most significant improvement of this disorder include birth control pills (with low male hormone content) and hormonal regulation therapy. Women who have PCOS and want to get pregnant may have luck with a medication called clomiphene, which encourages the ovaries to release an egg, thus increasing one’s chances of conceiving. Other symptoms such as acne and being overweight may have to be addressed separately (such as with the use of prescription dermatological products and a strict diet and exercise routine) in order to see improvement.
Benign Ovarian Tumors
A mass, or tumor, present on or near the ovary can definitely cause the ovary to swell or enlarge. The development of a tumor is a very scary thing. The first question to spring to a person’s mind is “Is it cancer?” Fortunately, not all tumors are malignant, or cancerous. The unfortunate part is that it is almost impossible to tell whether a tumor is malignant or not without evaluating a tissue sample of the mass under a microscope. If a non-cancerous tumor is left to remain within the body, it can actually turn cancerous and spread to other areas of the body. And if a tumor is indeed cancerous, removing the mass early could in fact remove the cancer altogether or cause it to go into “remission”. This is why early detection of any sort of tumor is the key to preventing the development or spread of cancer.
Symptoms of an ovarian tumor include pain in the abdomen and/or lower back, trouble urinating or feeling the need to go often, unexplainable weight gain, nausea, and loss of appetite. A surgical procedure will be necessary to remove the tumor, and is a very delicate and complex procedure. It is imperative that the tumor be removed without rupturing it, as a rupture could cause peritonitis (similar to how a ruptured appendix can damage other tissues within the body).
Cancerous Ovarian Tumors
The symptoms of cancerous ovarian tumors are pretty much the same as the symptoms of a non-cancerous tumor. That being said, some women have ovarian tumors and experience little or no symptoms at all. This is the main reason that cancer is allowed to spread long before it is detected. Cancer itself is generally not painful, at least not in the early stages. As it spreads and causes damage to other organs, symptoms are likely to crop up or become much more noticeable.
As with a benign tumor, the treatment often involves the attempted removal of as much of the tumor as possible. If the tumor is known or suspected to be cancerous, the surgeon may also recommend removal of the reproductive organs as well. Any tissues which can safely be removed and could possibly contain cancerous cells should be removed to lessen the chances of the cancer “coming back” or spreading to organs which cannot be removed. Other treatments involve radiation and chemotherapy.