Thursday, October 1, 2009

Ovarian Cysts - What are Ovarian Cysts?

If you have the symptoms of PCOS or have been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome then you may well be wondering just what are ovarian Cysts.

Ovarian cysts are actually a normal part of being a woman and having a menstrual cycle. However multiple and/or enlarged cysts are bad news. There are basically four types of cysts:

  • Functional Cysts - These cysts are quite normal and will usually dissipate on their own in a few weeks. They are caused when the ovaries produce an egg sack that does not release an egg or does release an egg but does not go away. These can continue to grow or at least stay the same size until the body destroys them.
  • Endometriomas Cyst - Endometriomas occur in women who suffer from endometriosis. This condition is where tissue from the lining of the uterus forms a growth by attaching to the ovary.
  • Cystadenomas Cyst - When a cyst is filled with sticky fluid it is called Cystadenomas.
  • Dermoid Cyst - Dermoid cysts may contain things that do not usually occur in the ovary such as hair, bone, and cartilage.
These cysts can do a number of things:
  • Grow - Enlarged cysts can be very painful. They can flare up at any time or during intercourse or during menstruation.
  • Bleed - sometimes these cysts will rupture and bleed causing pain and bleeding even when not during the period.
  • Twist - The presence of cysts can twist the ovary out of shape causing intense pain.
PCOS means you can have more than one of these cysts and possibly more than one type due to the causes of PCOS which is insulin resistance.

To find out how you can combat and defeat ovarian cysts at its root cause click below for more information.

PCOS Causes - Causes of Ovarian Cysts & Other Symptoms

The Causes of PCOS are still in debate but there are strong correlations with a few things that has given enough information to be able to treat the condition somewhat. While the symptoms of PCOS are many and varied most of them can be traced back to a single root cause which is a disorder of the metabolism.

This is sometimes known as Syndrome X but is also known as Insulin Resistance which is a serious condition in its own rights but women who suffer from this often develop PCOS though not everyone with insulin resistance does.

What is insulin?

Insulin is a hormone the body produces in the pancreas which is vital for converting food into energy which is basically using glucose in the blood to feed your muscles and many other functions.

What is insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is when your body's insulin does not work properly in doing its task of converting glucose to energy. This means that more insulin is produced to deal with an increasing level of blood sugar which is turning into fat as storage rather than becoming energy. This means you will put on weight and the cocktail of hormones in your body spikes androgen hormone levels.

What are Androgens?

Androgens are male hormones like testosterone that every person man or woman produce but men produce in much larger quantities. When this increased in a woman though it lowers the estrogen levels which are hormones that are associated with the female reproductive system and other female attributes. This hormone imbalance is what causes the symptoms of PCOS and creates ovarian cysts and everything else.

The causes of Insulin resistance are a little more vague but have been linked to obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Diet and lack of exercise are the most common culprits but there is also much we do not know.

Knowing at least these reasons though has given hope to this suffering pain, embarrassment and infertility from ovarian cysts though because combating insulin resistance is doable through natural methods. To find out more click below.