Ovulation pain: The norm, the discharge, and other issues

Pain during ovulation or painful ovulation usually does not have to mean a worsening health condition. As long as it is only a brief pain with no other symptoms. This sensation can be considered quite natural and does not imply any serious complications.

If a woman wants to suppress the pain, it is enough for her to take commonly available analgesics. In some cases, it can also be a symptom of a disease, for example ovarian, which should already be addressed by a medical examination.

Is it a normal part of ovulation or does it indicate a problem?

What other difficulties may appear? How long do they last? 

Ordinary, natural pain and not a disease

Pain during ovulation is natural if it is a consequence of the process of maturation of the egg and its preparation for possible fertilization.

This process is usually on the 12th to 14th day of the cycle, when the maturation of the egg occurs.

When the casing ruptures, the egg is released into the fallopian tubes and there it can meet the sperm and fertilisation occurs.

Ovulation pain in this case is caused precisely by the rupture of the shell of the egg. Such pain can also be transmitted to its surroundings. The intensity of pain during ovulation can be mild, but also strong and intense, and its character is cramping, pressure, prickling or dull.

This may include a bloody discharge, too.

Many times, pain during ovulation is also caused by the ovaries themselves. During the maturation of the eggs, prostaglandins are produced, which are substances that affect the maturation of the eggs. And it is this increased production that causes pressure, which can result in pain.

Even this pain does not have to be a negative symptom in itself, and with the help of non-steroidal analgesics, with an active ingredient such as diclofenac or indomethacin, the pain can be suppressed.

Also read the articles:

• Ovulation, calculation of fertile and infertile days. How to plan a pregnancy?
• How does the ovulation test work, when to test, what confirms positivity?

Pain occurs and radiates to different areas, and these are the most common:

• pain in the ovaries themselves
• to the vagina
• severe, intense pain in the lower abdomen
• radiates to the sacral and lumbar region
• also as pain in the hip and groin

During ovulation, women also complain of the following:

• pain, pressure of the breasts and nipples
• headache
• weakness and nausea
• swelling and pain in the lower legs, feet, ankles
• distended abdomen
• slight increase in body temperature
• discharge

Diseases that may be the cause

Pain during ovulation can also manifest itself in more serious diseases. Namely, tumor or infectious and inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs, but also inflammation of the bladder.

Ovarian inflammation is also manifested by pain in the lower abdomen and pain during intercourse. Endometriosis, which is an inflammation affecting the ovaries and fallopian tubes, is also such a disease. Sometimes it is a sexually transmitted disease that also affects the uterus, fallopian tubes and possibly the peritoneum.

It is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Inflammation is treated with antibiotics, but it needs to be diagnosed as soon as possible. If left untreated and when complications occur, it also causes infertility.

Pain during ovulation can be a symptom of ovarian cysts. They are also manifested by disturbances of the menstrual cycle or, on the contrary, the absence of menstruation. It is a hormonal disorder especially of women of reproductive and mature age.

The treatment consists of hormonal contraceptives and the deployment of gestagens.

Tumourous diseases are the most serious, e.g. ovarian cancer, where one of the symptoms is pain during the ovulation period. Malignant or benign tumours arise on the ovaries. Another type is cervical cancer.

Treatment consists of removing the tumour cells and also conventional chemotherapy. To increase the effectiveness, tumours need to be detected as early as possible and treatment started as soon as possible. It is for this reason that it is important not to ignore ovulation pain if it is prolonged and other symptoms are also present.

Also, postoperative conditions where adhesions form at the site of the surgical wound and ovarian adhesions can be a source of ovulation pain. Examples are appendectomy, caesarean section, or other operations in the lower abdomen and small pelvis.