Pain character and accompanying symptoms

Typical symptoms are mild to (depending on the cause) severe pain in the left or right lower abdomen, at the level of the pelvic blades. Depending on the cause, the pain may be dull and diffuse, or sharp, crampy and accompanied by vaginal discharge. Particularly at the beginning of pregnancy, when the egg nests in the lining of the uterus, there may be slight pain in the ovaries and a brown discharge. Other accompanying symptoms may include general malaise and nausea.

Diagnostics

Since any pain during pregnancy can be associated with a potentially dangerous condition, any pain, especially in the ovaries or uterus, should be investigated by a doctor. For this purpose, the doctor would ask for exact symptoms, the beginning and any previous illnesses. A gynecological examination and an ultrasound examination would then be performed.

This can be done transvaginally (through the vagina) or as a normal abdominal ultrasound. Depending on the underlying disease, additional examinations such as a blood sample, a blood culture or a urine test may also be performed. In the case of an ectopic pregnancy, an attempt is first made to terminate the pregnancy with the help of medication or, in severe cases, to surgically remove the non-viable embryo.

In the case of an imminent miscarriage, an attempt can be made to delay a premature birth with the help of contraceptive drugs. The time gained can thus be used for induction of pulmonary maturation (with the help of special drugs, the baby’s lungs can be brought to maturity prematurely) and better development of the baby.If a miscarriage is already imminent during pregnancy, i.e. the child’s heartbeat is no longer detectable, the uterus is first scraped out and then contracted with the help of contraceptive drugs. This also causes the embryonic cell remains to be expelled.

Therapy

If (as in most cases) there is no pathological cause for the ovarian pain, one can try to treat the pain symptomatically. Pregnant women in particular should try to relax, stay in bed and use hot water bottles or warm sitz baths. If the pain is very severe, pain-relieving medication can also be taken (in consultation with the gynecologist). In case of infections and inflammations of the ovaries or other organs, antibiotic therapy should be started as soon as possible.