Mittelschmerz - Ovulation and Pain in Mittelschmerz

What is Mittelschmerz?

Rupture of 'functional' ovarian cysts in the middle of the cycle is known as Mittelschmerz.

Mittelschmerz is one-sided lower-abdominal pain that occurs in women at or around the time of ovulation. An estimated 20 percent to 50 percent of women experience ovulation pain at some time during their reproductive years. Some have it every month; some have it only occasionally.

Occasionally, in addition to midcycle pain and cramping, some women may experience nausea, and/or light menstrual spotting. Mittelschmerz lasts for 6 to 8 hours in most women; however, occasionally it can last as long as twenty-four to forty-eight hours. An egg being released from an ovary. The fluid and blood released when the ovum bursts out of the ovary may cause discomfort. Blood is very irritating to the tissues lining the abdominal cavity and could be responsible for the midcycle pain.

Symptoms of Mittelschmerz

Lower-abdominal pain that is:

• Usually sharp, cramping, distinctive pain
• Severe (rare)
• May switch sides from month to month or from one episode to another
• Begins midway through the menstrual cycle
• One-sided
• Recurrent or with similar pain in past
• Typically lasting minutes to a few hours, but may extend as long as 24-48 hours

Diagnosing Mittelschmerz

Your health care provider can diagnose mittelschmerz fairly easily. If your symptoms are similar to those of mittelschmerz, your health care provider will ask you to monitor your cycle, to find out when you are ovulating. If your symptoms occur during ovulation, it is likely that you are experiencing mittelschmerz. More severe symptoms may be a sign that something else is going on.

Mittelschmerz Treatment

Most of the time, mittelschmerz doesn't require medical attention. Treatment may involve taking over-the-counter pain relievers and following other self-care strategies. If your pain continues to be troublesome, your doctor may prescribe an oral contraceptive. Pain relievers (analgesics) may be needed in cases of prolonged or intense pain. Some the steps should be taken if pain continues for long times talk to your doctor.

If you experience midcycle ovulation pain that lasts longer than 2 or 3 days, experience heavy bleeding, or have any unusual vaginal discharge call your health care provider. Hormonal forms of contraception can be taken to prevent ovulation and therefore ovulatory pain -- but otherwise there is no known prevention.

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Health Tip

You may have gallstones and not even know it! Your gallbladder can produce hundreds of tiny stones, and if they don't interfere with the way your gallbladder, liver or pancreas function, they are called silent stones that don't need treatment.