What Ovarian Cyst Pain Feels Like and When to Get Help

Quick answer: what does ovarian cyst pain feel like?

Ovarian cyst pain can feel like a dull, heavy ache or a sudden, severe and sharp pain low in your tummy. It is often on one side, and you may feel fullness or pressure in your lower belly or a dull ache in your back.

Get urgent help for sudden, severe pain, pain with fever or vomiting, or if you feel faint. See when to get urgent help.

Most cysts cause no symptoms at all. A cyst usually hurts only when it is very large, bursts, or twists the ovary. If you are not sure the pain comes from a cyst, start with what ovary pain feels like during your period.

What cyst pain feels like day to day

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac on an ovary. Small cysts often go unnoticed. Larger cysts can cause:

• A dull ache or pressure. You may feel pelvic pain, a dull ache in your back, or fullness in your lower belly that sits on one side.
• Pain with activity. Some cysts cause a dull or sharp ache and pain during certain activities. Cysts can also cause pain during sex.
• Bloating. You may feel bloated or full quickly when you eat.
• Changes in your periods. Periods can become heavier, lighter, or irregular, or more painful.
• Bladder and bowel changes. A cyst can press nearby, so you may need to pee often or find it hard to poo.

Cyst pain feels different for everyone. Some people feel nothing. Others feel mild discomfort that comes and goes, or a steady ache that makes it hard to get through the day. Your pain is real even when a scan shows only a small cyst.

What a ruptured ovarian cyst feels like

A ruptured cyst is a cyst that has burst open. Many functional cysts break open without causing any symptoms. When a burst cyst does hurt, the pain is often sudden, sharp and intense, low in your tummy and usually on one side. Some people call it the worst pain they have ever felt.

Other signs of a burst cyst can include:

• Pain that gets worse when you sit
• Nausea and vomiting
• Bloating or a full feeling in your tummy
• Fever, which can mean an infection

Cysts tend to burst around ovulation, or after hard exercise or sex. Bigger cysts and dermoid cysts are more likely to cause symptoms when they burst.

How long the pain lasts

Your body takes up the fluid from a typical burst cyst within about 24 hours. Other cysts can take up to a couple of weeks, and pain can linger during that time. Most burst cysts heal on their own with rest and over-the-counter pain relief. A burst cyst that bleeds a lot may need surgery.

Signs that recovery is not going well

Go back to hospital or get urgent care if, after a burst cyst, you have more pain, dizziness or weakness, or a fever. Dizziness and weakness can be signs of anaemia, a low blood count. Fever can be a sign of infection. Pain in your shoulder or upper tummy can mean heavy bleeding inside and is an emergency.

If you have cysts that burst again and again, ask your gynaecologist to look for the cause.

Cyst types that matter for endometriosis

Functional cysts

Functional cysts form as part of your menstrual cycle. They are the most common type and are usually harmless. A follicular cyst forms when the follicle does not release its egg and keeps growing. A corpus luteum cyst forms when the follicle fills with fluid after ovulation. Most functional cysts go away on their own within a few months, often without any treatment.

Endometriomas

An endometrioma is a cyst that forms because of endometriosis. It is filled with thick, brown fluid, so people also call it a "chocolate cyst". Between 17 and 44 in 100 people with endometriosis develop one.

Endometrioma pain is often different from functional cyst pain. The most common symptom is pain or tenderness in your pelvis that can happen at any time, not only during your period. You may also have:

• Severe period pain
• Pain during sex
• Pain when you pee or poo
• Back pain, bloating, nausea or vomiting

An endometrioma can open and leak, but this is rare. Signs are severe tummy pain that comes without warning, weakness, dizziness, fever or vomiting. Endometriomas can also come back after treatment, so keep a record of your pain after surgery too.

Other cysts

Dermoid cysts contain cells like those in hair, teeth or skin. Cystadenomas form on the surface of the ovary and can grow very large. Both are usually benign.

Twisting of the ovary (ovarian torsion)

A large cyst can make the ovary twist. The twist can block the blood supply to the ovary. The pain is on one side and can come and go, or start suddenly. Torsion often causes sudden, severe pain with nausea and vomiting. It is an emergency.

When to get urgent help

Get help immediately if you have:

• Sudden, severe pelvic pain
• Tummy pain and you feel sick or are being sick
• Sudden, severe tummy pain with vomiting or fever
• A feeling that you might faint, fast breathing, or cold, clammy skin
• Pain in your shoulder or upper tummy together with cyst pain
• Cyst pain that does not get better with over-the-counter pain relief

See a doctor soon, and not as an emergency, if you have pain that does not go away, bloating, pressure, pain during sex, or periods that are late, irregular or painful. Also contact your provider if you have bleeding that is not normal for you.

Tracking cyst pain

Many cysts are found on a pelvic exam or a scan. Notes about your pain help your doctor decide what to look for. Write down:

• The day of your cycle when the pain starts
• The side and the place: left, right, low in your tummy, back or thigh
• The kind of pain: dull, heavy, sharp, stabbing or pressure
• How strong it is, from 0 to 10, and how long it lasts
• What makes it worse, such as sex, exercise or sitting
• Other signs, such as bloating, nausea, fever or unusual bleeding

If a cyst bursts, note the date, how the pain changed over the next days, and what helped. Endolog keeps this record in one place, so you can show your doctor the pattern and not rely on memory.

FAQ: ovarian cyst pain

How do I know if my pain is from an ovarian cyst?

You cannot tell for sure from the pain alone. Cyst pain is often on one side, with pressure, fullness or a dull ache. An ultrasound scan can show a cyst. Many other conditions cause pain in the same area, so see a doctor if the pain keeps coming back. Our guide to period pain on one side covers the other causes.

Can an ovarian cyst cause sharp pain?

Yes. A cyst can cause a sudden, severe and sharp pain, most often when it bursts or twists the ovary. Sudden sharp pain on one side needs urgent care.

Where do you feel ovarian cyst pain?

You usually feel it low in your tummy, often on one side. It can also cause a dull ache in your back.

How long does pain last after a cyst bursts?

For a typical cyst, your body takes up the fluid within about 24 hours. Pain can linger for up to a couple of weeks with other cysts. Pain that gets worse, or comes with fever or dizziness, needs urgent care.

Does a cyst have to be big to hurt?

Not always, but the bigger the cyst, the more likely it is to cause symptoms. Small cysts often cause no pain at all.

Track your cyst pain so you can see your pattern and bring clear notes to your next appointment.

Related articles

• Ovary Pain During Your Period: Left, Right, or Both Sides
• Sudden Stabbing Pelvic Pain, Including Period Pain That Is Not Cramps