Girls Health—How do you get them?

Often young and obese women suffer from PCOS. Otherwise, there isn’t really conclusive evidence on how and why women get cysts. But there is some indication that a high-fat diet and large amounts of caffeine contribute to their development and/or growth.

 Girls Health—How do you treat them?

Any cyst should be checked by a doctor. Even though most ovarian cysts aren’t usually cancerous, you shouldn’t take the chance. Pelvic exams help doctors see if you have cysts at all. If, after an exam, your doctor suspects cysts, he/she may recommend other tests such as: 

Ultrasound—where sound waves are used (externally) to obtain a picture of your reproductive organs and the cysts can be identified and measured
Laparoscopy—where a lighted tube is inserted into your body so the doctor can see inside
Blood test

Girls Health—There are several ways to treat cysts:

Birth-control pills help regulate ovulation and help shrink cysts
Surgery may be required for large cysts. The type of operation depends on when the cyst is found, its size, type and a woman’s age
Hormone therapy can help with PCOS
Dietary changes (like a low fat diet, and little to no caffeine) sometimes help cysts shrink
Exercise


Girls Health—How can you avoid them?

There’s been some evidence that foods high in saturated fat (like fried foods, cheeses, and fatty meats) contribute to the development of cysts. Avoiding these foods has been very helpful for some women. Also, caffeine is a stimulant and some doctors believe it stimulates the growth of cysts. Cutting down on coffee and colas may help. Finally, oral contraceptives will prevent the more common functional cysts of ovulation from forming.

Girls Health—Endometriosis

What is that?

Endometriosis is a disease that affects girls and women during their menstrual years. Basically with endometriosis, the uterine lining (endometrium) moves outside the uterus and builds up in other parts the body, mostly in the area around the uterus. This can affect how the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the other pelvic organs work.

Wherever it starts building up, this endometrial tissue starts to act like the endometrium. This means that when hormones cue the endometrium to build up during the menstrual cycle, the misplaced endometrial tissue goes through the same process. So when it’s time for menstruation, the endometrial tissue "bleeds." But since the tissue isn’t in the uterus, the blood never leaves the body. This can lead to very bad pain, scarring and, even infertility.

The symptoms of endometriosis can be really severe or mild. The main symptom is pain, and the level of pain doesn’t seem to have much to do with how serious a case of endometriosis. Women with a slight case of it may experience more pain than do others with severe cases.

Girls Health—The specific symptoms may include:

Dysmenorrhea (pain during menstruation)
Pain at ovulation (mid-cycle)
Pain during sexual intercourse
Heavy periods
Spotting
Irregular periods