There is always a chance that an ovarian cyst could burst. This is the worst case scenario for an ovarian cyst and is a cause of concern for women. This article will discuss what happens when an ovarian cyst bursts.
Severe pain that will usually radiate from the lower abdomen to the pelvic area is what women will most likely experience when an ovarian cyst bursts. The degree of pain felt by each person is affected by what happens when the ovarian cyst bursts. There are many contributing factors such as any infection of the cyst, any bleeding of the cyst, and what elements made up the cyst.
Individuals who experience the sharp pain of a burst ovarian cyst must immediately rush to a hospital for appropriate treatment. This acute pain is caused by the irritation of the lining of the peritoneal cavity known as the peritoneum. The peritoneum can be irritated by blood or the contents of the cyst. The cyst can also have a high concentration of prostaglandins, which can cause inflammation and cause even more pain to women with ovarian cysts, both directly and indirectly.
Unlike what happens when an ovarian cysts bursts, when a regular follicle ruptures and releases an egg under the normal menstruation pattern, women usually experience no pain. This causes some to draw comparisons between the normal release of the egg and the bursting of an ovarian cyst. However, when a follicle ruptures, it causes very little bleeding because it is so small. Ovarian cysts can reach between 5 cm to 10 cm in diameter.
What happens when an ovarian cyst bursts is also severe bleeding caused by the release of fluids if there are a significant amount of blood vessels nearby. Since the peritoneum has many nerve endings, it only takes 10 ml of blood to irritate it. Women with ovarian cysts will experience extreme pain because of this. To put it in perspective, the only pain a blood donor will feel from 5 to 20 ml of blood is that of the needle prick. It is well known that the peritoneum is a sensitive and tender area.
The normal outcome of an ovarian cyst is that it resolves by itself and does not actually burst. If it does not burst, the fluid is reabsorbed which causes the cyst to be reduced and eventually collapse on itself. Thus you can expect a cyst to simply disappear after a few menstrual cycles have passed.
Women who have ovarian cysts are right to be concerned about the risks in connection with what happens when an ovarian cyst bursts. Although it is painful when an ovarian cyst bursts, it is very rare for it to be life threatening. With this said, a woman who has this happen to her, though, will nevertheless need to go to a hospital in order to be looked at by a doctor.