We take a look at the types of ovarian cysts, their cause, and effective natural treatments.
In this post we'll be discussing functional ovarian cysts, as opposed to the ovarian cysts associated with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) or the ovarian cysts associated with endometriosis. Functional ovarian cysts are fluid filled sacs the size of almonds that grow and develop on the ovaries, often cyclically as related to your monthly hormonal shifts. Ovarian cysts like this can come and go, get larger and smaller, and are very responsive to natural treatments.
Your body is designed to deal with ovarian cysts, if it is working at an optimal level of health. However, if you are experiencing hormonal imbalance, this can prevent ovarian cysts from shrinking, cause them to grow larger, and then potentially rupture with a lot of pain and complication involved.
The symptoms of functional ovarian cysts
Many women don’t realize they have ovarian cysts until they start experiencing symptoms. Once you have symptoms like those detailed below, you may want to ask your OB/GYN for an ultrasound exam to confirm that ovarian cysts are the cause. The common signs of ovarian cysts are:
- Lower abdominal pain
- Pain during sex
- Pressure on the bladder/need to urinate more frequently
- Bloating
- Indigestion
- Irregular cycles and anovulatory cycles (when ovulation does not occur)
A ruptured ovarian cyst will cause you high fever and pain. Often women who experience this will go to the ER and will often be checked for appendicitis first. It’s best to be aware that a ruptured ovarian cyst could also be the cause of such pain, if you have experienced the above symptoms prior to this happening.
Types of ovarian cysts
There are several kinds of ovarian cysts, but functional cysts, as described above, are the most common. There are just two kinds of functional ovarian cysts - follicle cysts and corpus luteum cysts. Follicle cysts happen when the ovary follicle does not open to release an egg and instead stays closed, filled with liquid. Corpus luteum cysts are when the follicle does release an egg, but then does not seal and close off afterwards.
Other kinds of ovarian cysts include:
- Endometriomas - tissue that normally would grow and develop inside the uterus can migrate outside the uterus and attach to the ovaries. These cysts are associated with an Endometriosis diagnosis. They can grow large and rupture just like functional cysts.
- PCOS - with a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome a woman has multiple cysts on her ovary or ovaries (sometimes said to look like “a string of pearls”). PCOS can cause infertility by producing extremely long, irregular cycles without ovulation. This lack of ovulation, the hormonal imbalance, and the enlarged cyst-covered ovary has its own set of symptoms that vary from woman to woman, but can include weight gain, acne, hair overgrowth and hair loss, anxiety, and depression.
- Dermoid cysts - these cysts grow on the ovaries and contain hair, teeth and other substances.
Treatment for ovarian cysts
Most commonly women are offered the birth control pill to “treat” ovarian cysts. The Pill replaces your natural hormonal changes and cycle with a synthetic hormone stasis. Considering the side effects while using the Pill, and the fact that once you come off the ovarian cysts will probably return and may be worse as a result, we never recommend this as a method for combatting cysts. The birth control pill can make the root causes of ovarian cysts much, much worse.
The Pill is a band-aid for all women’s health issues and in the case of ovarian cysts when natural treatment can be very effective it is completely unnecessary. Natural treatment alone can shrink and resolve cysts, as well as prevent their return relatively quickly.
If you find you have a proclivity for cysts we recommend following our natural treatment protocol and then returning to your doctor every 6 months to monitor them.
The cause of ovarian cysts
The central cause of ovarian cysts is estrogen dominance. This means your body holds too much estrogen and not enough progesterone to create balance. The estrogen your body is creating is not being processed and eliminated correctly. Plus, you are taking in excess estrogens from outside of your body via synthetic estrogen-filled shampoos, cosmetics, nail polishes, household cleaners, femcare products, plastics and pesticides. This creates an estrogen overload situation. If your body is not functioning optimally then it won’t be able to get rid of the excess estrogen as it needs to, efficiently and quickly. The Flo Living protocol is designed to reverse and prevent estrogen dominance and all of the symptoms that come with this hormonal imbalance.
The best natural treatment for ovarian cysts
Cycle Syncing® your diet is the best way to manage ovarian cysts. Eating the right foods for the right phase of your hormonal cycle will keep your hormones in check and prevent excess estrogen or low progesterone. There are also certain foods you can frontload in your daily diet to make this protocol even more effective for shrinking, managing, and preventing ovarian cysts long-term. We at Flo Living firmly believe that fibroids and ovarian cysts are best treated naturally.
These three types of foods can help shrink and even get rid of ovarian cysts:
- Cruciferous vegetables and DIM - Vegetables like Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, broccoli, and cabbage contain DIM (Di-Indolyl Methane) which is very effective at helping the body process and eliminate excess estrogen. Increase your intake of these veggies and supplement with DIM itself in pill form daily.
- Fermented foods - Sauerkraut, kimchi and pickles will help your body deal with and manage estrogen. A certain set of gut bacteria, and more specifically certain bacterial genes called the estrobolome, produce an essential enzyme that helps metabolize estrogen. Your gut is part of the elimination system that is vital in ushering hormones out of the body. Fermented foods are wonderful for gut health.
- Fiber-filled foods - Fiber helps your liver and digestive system move and eliminate excess estrogen from your body. The best fiber-filled foods for preventing estrogen dominance are pears and flax seeds. Flax seeds contain lignan which prevents the body from absorbing excess estrogen.
A Flo Living Success Story: Ovarian Cysts
Flo Living graduate Heidi Braun came to us with functional ovarian cysts. Within two months of following the Flo Living protocol, she saw her cysts disappear from her ovaries.
“Mid-April and time to go back for another sonogram. Alisa and I spoke prior to my visit and she told me not to expect any changes...that it was too soon. I was fine with that. I knew I was doing all I could and they were great things for my health nonetheless. So as I lay on the table, with no expectations, the technician tells me, “The cyst on the left ovary is gone” and then “Oh! The one on the right is gone, too!” I’m in shock. I’m elated. And as a tear rolls down my cheek, I’m in awe of the power...the power this body has to heal itself. How amazing is that! If I treat it right (if I treat ME right), then amazing things will happen.”
