Pain in the ovaries is a common symptom that can occur due to a variety of problems. The primary function of ovaries is ovulation. It releases ovum or egg that may get fertilized eventually. Ovulation normally occurs in a woman once in every month during her regular menstrual cycles.

There can be several problems related to ovulation that can cause pain and general discomfort during menstruation periods. Pain in the ovaries should not be ignored if it is persistent or occurs regularly. This pain can be unilateral or it can be bilateral if both the ovaries are affected.

Hormonal imbalance can lead to problems in timely ovulation which can cause pain in the ovaries. The ovum is released by the follicle in an ovary. Sometime this follicle fails to break and does not release ovum in time. Such a follicle grows and enlarges in its sizes. It becomes a cyst filled with fluids or sometimes blood. These cysts can cause mild to severe pain depending upon its formation. Eventually, this cyst ruptures causing more bleeding. It results in sharp pains in the lower abdominal region. Most of the times this kind of pain subsides within a few hours but in certain cases it can be worse. Under such circumstances, it is necessary that the patient should consult a physician and get proper prescription.

Cysts occurring on the surface of the ovaries are a common phenomenon for most of the women. They are fairly ordinary and usually do not cause much pain or discomfort. In certain cases these cysts are formed after ovulation. Such cysts cause pain only in rare instances. Ovarian cysts are of various types and they have a tendency to recur. Hence timely detection and treatment is essential to avoid future problems.

Pain in the ovaries can indicate another serious problem known as ectopic pregnancy. This is not as common as ovarian cysts but it can be fatal and it calls for immediate medical attention. Every 11 out of 1000 pregnancies turn out to be ectopic in nature. In case of ectopic pregnancy, the fertilization occurs outside the uterus. It can take place in fallopian tubes, cervix or ovaries. If it occurs in an ovary, the embryo starts growing there. It can cause severe pain in this region. Sometimes the pain might be a dull aching sensation. It can be accompanied with bleeding too. In either case, ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency and should be diagnosed and treated at the earliest. Pain in an ovary can also be due to corpus luteum. Under such circumstances, a sonogram or ultrasound is essential if the patient is positive for pregnancy test.