Women worldwide are commonly afflicted with ovarian cysts even if they don’t realize they have them. For many women, there are no noticeable symptoms or signs that anything is wrong because the cysts don’t become large enough to actually be noticed. However, for other women, ovarian cysts can become so dangerous that they cause sterility.

When trying to diagnose and isolate the symptoms of ovarian cysts, the problem is that they are different for each woman that develops these cysts. While one woman may have only one pronounced symptom, another one will have several. That makes it hard to reach a definite diagnosis.

There are, however, a few symptoms that have been noted in the majority of women showing symptoms of ovarian cysts.

A lot of women have trouble getting pregnant when they have ovarian cysts. The reason for this is that cysts keep ovulation from occurring the way it’s supposed to. Therefore, the eggs fail to develop fully. An irregular menstrual cycle is another symptom of ovarian cysts. This is due to the disruption of ovulation by the cysts. Thus, the menstrual cycle becomes irregular.

Many times there is pain just before or following your menstrual cycle. This also is brought on by the disrupted ovulation. If you have pain just before your cycle or immediately following it, there’s a strong possibility that you have an ovarian cyst.

At times, the ovarian cysts may fill with blood or they may rupture. When this happens, it is often accompanied by pain in the pelvic region. This pain may spread to your lower back and your thighs. This symptom is very noticeable when it occurs and can become quite uncomfortable. In fact, it can become so severe that your activities may be affected.

Another symptom of ovarian cysts is that of painful bowel movements. Granted, there are many other reasons that may cause painful bowel movements, but if you experience this one in conjunction with any or all of the other ones, it’s time to see your doctor. There are examinations and tests that your doctor can perform to tell if you have an ovarian cyst and just how severe it is.

Nausea, tenderness in your breasts like that experienced when you’re pregnant, and vomiting are all symptoms that can point to ovarian cysts. You may also notice a fullness or heavy feeling in your abdomen. Sometimes, there’s a pressure that you feel on your bladder or rectum, which makes it difficult to completely empty your bladder.

While those are all symptoms that should not be ignored, if you experience any sudden and severe pain in your abdomen or pelvis, or have this pain along with a fever or vomiting, you should seek medical attention immediately. If you have any of these symptoms accompanied by cold, clammy skin, lightheadedness, weakness or rapid breathing, don’t waste any time getting to a hospital.

These signs mean that you’re in trouble and are possibly in a life threatening condition, most likely caused by a ruptured cyst. This needs to be treated immediately.