Because some ovarian cysts are harmless while others pose an imminent threat to your health, treatments for ovarian cysts vary dramatically, depending on your individual circumstance. In most cases, ovarian cysts are functional cysts that develop at the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle and clear up on their own once eggs in the cyst have been released into the fallopian tubes.

 

However, in cases in which the ovarian cysts block the blood supply to the ovaries, continue growing or contain cancerous cells, immediate medical treatment is essential to preventing negative consequences to your health. Along with the traditional treatment options outlined below, some women opt for alternative treatments that include:

While these alternative treatments for ovarian cysts can reduce your symptoms and prevent cysts from growing further, they don’t cure or rid you them. As a result, seeking the proper medical attention for an official diagnosis and supervised treatment is also important.

 

In this section, we will outline and discuss the various forms of treatments available for different types of ovarian cysts. Our articles will also highlight which treatments are more or less effective for each type of ovarian cyst.

Birth control pills are condensed forms of estrogen and progesterone that control a woman’s monthly cycle. By taking oral contraceptives and skipping the sugar pills (the last section of pills which triggers the body to start ovulation), a woman can prevent her period from coming. Because ovarian cysts, especially the functional cysts, can’t form if you aren’t menstruating (namely because your ovaries aren’t releasing eggs), taking birth control pills to skip periods prevents the growth of ovarian cysts.

 

Women who have a personal and family history of ovarian cysts are typically prescribed birth control pills as a treatment for and in the prevention of ovarian cysts. Keep reading to learn more about treating ovarian cysts with oral contraceptives.

A cystectomy is the medical procedure in which doctors surgically remove part or all of the bladder, gallbladder or any cyst in the pelvic region, namely ovarian cysts. Although cystectomies are typically used as a treatment for bladder cancer, they can also be effective in treating non-cancerous ovarian cysts. This procedure is highly popular among ovarian cyst patients in that it leaves the ovaries in tact, meaning that a woman doesn’t lose her ability to have children.

 

Unfortunately, cystectomy procedures aren’t a treatment option for ovarian cysts that are cancerous. In these cases, part or all of the afflicted ovaries must be removed. Read on to learn more about treating ovarian cysts through the cystectomy procedure.

Also known as ovariotomy or orchiectomy, an oophorectomy describes a surgical procedure in which doctors remove one or both of a woman’s ovaries. Because oophorectomies are serious procedures that permanently change a woman, they are considered a last-resort option in cases of ovarian cysts and ovarian cancer.

 

Once a woman’s ovaries have been removed through an oophorectomy, she no longer has the ability to produce and regulate estrogen levels in her body. As a result, doctors typically prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to these women.

 

Since HRT has recently come under some scrutiny for its link to the development of breast cancer, keep in mind that HRT isn’t for everyone. Individual treatments to help patients recover from an oophorectomy vary. Keep reading to learn more about treating ovarian cysts through an oophorectomy.

Resources

Cornforth, Tracee. About.com (2007). Treatments for Ovarian Cysts (2007). Retrieved July 5, 2007 from: http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/ovariancysts/a/
ovariancysttrtm.htm.