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Diseases that can affect ovaries

Unfortunately women can develop different diseases in their ovaries and besides the physical pain that these diseases bring in some cases they even lead to infertility.

Ovarian cancer is very rare disease and it certainly appears much less than cervical cancer. It is very difficult to detect ovarian cancer and if it is detected early there are fairly good chances for successful treatment. This type of cancer often occurs in women after menopause, in women who have not yet given birth, women that have close relatives suffering from this disease or some similar diseases like uterine cancer, breast cancer and cancer of the end of the colon as well as women who are suffering from obesity. Having all these things in mind, we can conclude that taking birth control pills and breastfeeding significantly reduces the risk of ovarian cancer. This type of cancer can affect one or both ovaries. There are some distinctive symptoms that accompany this disease but they occur very late. Some of those symptoms include – pain in the abdomen, vaginal bleeding, stomach problems, bloating and abdominal tumescence. If the gynecologist during medical examination finds thickenings it is very likely that he will perform laparotomy or/and laparoscopy. Ovarian cancer that is detected at an early stage can be treated with surgical removal of the ovary/ovaries (oophorectomy) and at a later stage with surgical removal of the uterus (hysterectomy).

Another disease that is more common in ovaries is ovarian cysts. They usually occur because of certain irregularities in the release of the oocytes from the follicle. If the follicle is not torn, it can result in a cyst. The vast majority of cysts are benign and some of them increase size, get harder and can cause irregular menstrual cycle, pain and discomfort in the stomach area. Sometimes the pain can occur during sexual intercourse. Gynecologists can discover cysts very easy during medical examination as he explores the area around the uterus and the ovaries. After that he will perform an ultrasound or laparoscopy. Cysts may disappear on their own but some of them need to be removed. In rare cases when the cyst is very large, a surgery may be necessary.

Women usually detect that they are suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome when they find out that they cannot conceive. In this case we are talking about disturbance in the process of secretion of pituitary hormones, which trigger the process of developing eggs in the ovary. Some of the most common symptoms of polycystic ovaries are – irregular menstrual cycles, acne, oily skin, excessive body hair and excessive weight. This disease can be treated with medications that provide normal hormonal balance.

Another thing that must be mentioned when we talk about ovary diseases is oophorectomy. This term is used to describe surgical removal of one or both ovaries. This procedure is usually performed in cases of certain types of cancer, large cysts or as part of hysterectomy. Doctors will try every method before they decide that the removal of the second ovary is necessary.

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