Now, cattle are often treated with hormones to increase their milk production.  Could there a connection between this hormonal treatment and the prevalence of cystic ovarian disease?  It’s very possible.  And you could even extrapolate that to humans…

It would be interesting to see if nonhormonally treated dairy cattle experience this in a signicantly less percentage than those treated.  It would definitely be a case to see if the hormones entering our diet are causing the increase in ovarian cysts that we see today.

There are two potential complications that you need to be aware of with functional cysts.  In either of these cases, you need to see a doctor right away.  These are:

• A burst cyst.
• A twisted cyst, or ovarian torsion.

If the cyst happens to burst, you will generally experience a sharp pain from the cyst bursting.  This is generally followed by a burning sensation in your abdomen.  If the fluid from inside the cyst has sprayed into the surrounding area, it irritates the tissue, which creates this burning.  Generally, a cyst is more likely to burst right after intercourse, heavy lifting, or sudden pressure on your stomach.  Of course, it may burst just because as well…

If this happens to you, call your doctor right away.  He’ll probably want to see you in order to get you started on antibiotics.  They’ll also want to make sure you don’t have any internal bleeding.  In most cases, a burst cyst will resolve itself as long as you avoid the risk of infection.

Ovarian torsion is a more severe situation.  Fortunately, it’s not very common.  In some cases, the cyst grows on a stem.  As it gets larger, it twists downwards, twisting the ovary as well.  This cuts off the blood supply to the ovary, causing intense pain.  This pain is more like a kidney stone.  If it’s not treated right away, the ovary will die from the lack of blood supply.  Treatment for this is generally surgery.

So to sum it up, if your pain suddenly worsens, and it’s not time for ovulation (middle of your menstrual cycle), call your doctor.  Each woman will experience pain differently.  A good rule of thumb is that it’s better not to take chances.  If you think something is going on, it’s better to go and get it checked out than let a potentially dangerous problem go undiscovered.

Basically, these foods contain compounds that are called antiangiogenic.  What that means is that they keep the body from growing new blood vessels.  Tumors need blood in order to survive.  In fact, studies showed that animals with large tumors who were treated with antiangiogenic medications had a significant reduction in the size of the tumors.  In human studies, most cancers responded well to this sort of treatment, as long as they were in the early stages.

What does this mean for ovarian cysts?  Well, if there is any fear that the cyst is cancerous, you can try a diet of these foods to help your body shrink the cyst.  However, for fluid filled cysts, this may or may not help.  Since those don’t rely as much on blood vessel supply, they are less likely to shrink.  Still, including these foods in your everyday diet may help your overall health.

Some of the common herbs used to treat ovarian cysts are burdock, mullein, St. John’s Wort, Black Cohosh and dandelion.    St. John’s Wort is expecially known for interacting with other medications.  It tends to affect how the body absorbs prescriptions medicines, which can be especially harmful if you are taking drugs for blood pressure or a heart condition.

US News lists nine supplements to avoid while taking heart medication.  With herbal remedies, it’s important to remember to check with your doctor to make sure you avoid any interactions, especially if you are taking any prescription medication.  You can also consult a herbalist or a naturopathic doctor.

Most of the time, this type of cyst is harmless.  However, there is a small chance (less than 5%) that it is cancerous.  For this reason, most doctors will recommend you have surgery so they can biopsy the cyst.  It is the only way to absolutely rule out cancer.

There are a few tests that you should ask for before you have the surgery.  These can give you and the doctor a better idea of what you are dealing with.  One of the most common is a blood test for CA-125.  Elevated levels of this hormone are found in 80% of women with ovarian cancer.  If it’s not elevated, then your chances of cancer are somewhat less.  However, having normal levels does not completely rule out cancer.

It can be scary to think about having surgery for this, especially when the chances of it being cancer are relatively low.  However, since ovarian cancer is usually not diagnosed until it’s too late to treat, it’s best to rule out the possibility while it is still relatively contained.

Usually, doctors will do a laparascopy to remove the cyst.  However, if the solid component is over 2 ½ inches in diameter, they may need to do a traditional abdominal surgery.  Also, if the doctor finds evidence of cancer while doing the laparascopy, he will often change the procedure in order to make sure any possible cancer is removed.  It will cause you to have a longer recovery time, but if it turns out you do have cancer, it is worth it.

Symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Cysts

The main symptom of PCOS is an irregular menstrual cycle.  All women who have polycystic ovarian cysts do not regularly ovulate, so they do not have irregular periods.  Often, women with this syndrome will have a number of small cysts in their ovaries.  There are a few other symptoms that can be present when you have PCOS.  These are:

• Acne
• Obesity
• Excess Hair Growth
• Oily Skin
• Infertility
• Dandruff
• Skin Discolorations
• High Cholesterol Level
• Elevated Blood Pressure

All or only a few of these symptoms may be present.  PCOS varies from woman to woman.

Causes of Polycystic Ovarian Cysts

No one knows for sure the cause of PCOS.  While most women with this disease have numerous small cysts on their ovaries, the cysts are not believed to be the cause of the disease.  However, scientists have found a few correlations with other health problems.  For example, women with PCOS often have a sister or a mother with the same disease.  Also, many women with PCOS also experience problems with their insulin levels.  They also produce androgen from their ovaries.

Treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Cysts

In general, doctors will try to control PCOS through medication.   This can include birth control and hormonal therapy.  Women with PCOS tend to have problems getting pregnant due to a lack of ovulation, but a fertility specialist may be able to help.  Also, many women have had success in controlling their PCOS through natural remedies, such as diet.

In extreme cases, doctors may remove the ovaries to cure this disease.  However, you should know that in some cases ovarian tissue is left, leaving the potential for future cysts.  Also, losing your ovaries can cause problems as you age.  You will likely need to take artificial hormones to prevent some of these problems.

Q: Why would someone want to eat a raw and living foods diet?

A: The biggest reason to eat a raw food diet is for the way it makes you feel. Raw foods make you feel alive and full of positive, loving energy. There are also numerous health benefits to eating a raw food diet. We have personally experienced weight loss, freedom from years of clinically medicated depression and anxiety attacks, the complete cure of irritable bowel syndrome, overcoming alcoholism, regulation of menstrual cycle and alleviation of ovarian cysts, and the clearing of skin and eyes. Other people have used the raw diet to help heal them of everything ranging from high cholesterol, arthritis, and allergies to cancer and diabetes.

Sounds interesting!  I would think that it may work, as long as you stuck with organic raw foods.  You could cut out a lot of the chemicals, processing, and hormones that is in our food supply.  And if that’s what is causing your ovarian cyst, you would probably see it disappear.

I just wonder how sustainable this type of diet would be for the long term…

For the full interview, click here.

The truth is, most women do not know they have an ovarian cyst.  It’s something you usually find out when you are already at the doctor for a regular checkup.   This is actually a good thing, as most cysts will be reabsorbed by your body without you doing anything about it.  Just think of it as a little bit less stress!

However, when cysts cause problems, then you do have symptoms.  It’s in these cases that you need to be the most careful.  And sometimes, the symptomless cysts can burst on you, causing a number of complications.

So after all that, here’s a list of symptoms you may experience if you have an ovarian cyst:

• Irregular Period.
• Pelvic pain – constant or comes and goes.  May radiate across back and down legs.
• Pelvic pain right before your period starts or after it ends.
• Pain during intercourse.
• Pain during bowel movements or a feeling of pressure on your bowels.
• Symptoms similar to early pregnancy – nausea, vomiting, and breast tenderness.
• Feeling of fullness of heaviness in your lower abdomen.
• Pressure on your rectum or bladder.  Sometimes have problems emptying the bladder completely.

If you have any of these symptoms, you need to call your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately.

• Symptoms of shock – rapid breathing, light headedness, clammy skin.
• Sudden and severe abdominal or pelvic pain.
• Pain accompanied by fever or vomiting.

Information courtesy of the Mayo Clinic.

This approach is the primary way of treating ovarian cysts.  As most cysts are functional and noncancerous, this is generally the best approach.  However, it can leave you in a lot of pain while you wait for the cyst to shrink.  It also does nothing to speed the process of cyst removal or prevent future cysts from forming.

How This Treatment is Prescribed

During a pelvic exam, the doctor will feel a mass on your ovary.  Afterwards, he will have you get an ultrasound.  This will show whether the mass is a fluid filled cyst or something else.  If it is filled with fluid, you will be asked to return for another ultrasound in two to three months.

If the cyst is especially large, in danger of bursting or twisting the ovary, or made of solid material, then surgery will be recommended.

Who This Treatment Works For

The majority of women will have their cysts dissolve naturally without doing anything.  As long as you have a functional follicular or corpus luteum cyst, it should disappear within two to three months.  However, if you have painful, large or recurring cysts, you may want to look into other options.  These are hormonal therapy, surgery, or natural treatment.

What Happens If the Cyst Doesn’t Dissolve

At that point, the doctor will recommend either surgery to remove the cyst, or hormonal therapy to reduce it.  However, both of these treatment methods have drawbacks.  They don’t prevent future cysts, and in the case of birth control, sometimes worsen existing cysts.

BPA is used in a wide variety of hard plastic containers and canned food linings.  It’s so prevalent in our food supply that a study found that 90% of people had this chemical in their urine or breast milk, and it was even found in umbilical cord blood!

BPA is a hormone mimicker.  Specifically, it mimics estrogen.  In a study using rats, female rats exposed to high and low amounts of the chemical showed decreased production of luteinizing hormone (LH).  This caused decreased ovulation and interruptions in the menstrual cycle.  More research is needed into whether this contributes specifically to the formation of ovarian cysts, but it seems to be a definite possibililty.

How do you avoid this chemical that’s seemingly everywhere?  First, avoid plastics with the number 7 printed on the bottom.  These contain the highest concentration of BPA.  Also, avoid putting anything plastic in the microwave or freezer.  Exposure to extreme heat or cold seems to speed the release of this chemical.  Third, dispose of any plastic that gets scratched or nicked.  Fourth, make sure your water bottle is BPA free, or use a metal bottle.  Nalgene is now supposed to have BPA free plastic water bottles.

Another sneaky source of BPA besides plastics is in can linings.  If you are currently dealing with ovarian cysts, you may want to avoid foods that come in lined cans.  One of the worst offenders is canned tomatoes.