The menopause (climacteric) is accompanied by a series of hormonal changes in women. The time at which the menopause begins can vary from person to person; on average, women have completed the menopause by the age of 58. During the menopause, the ovaries produce fewer hormones and the ability to reproduce decreases.
This process occurs in different stages and takes place over a longer period of time. The menopause varies greatly from woman to woman, some feel no discomfort at all, others are slightly impaired and in some cases there are severe symptoms such as severe pain in the ovaries. Abdominal pain is not untypical of the menopause, in many cases it has harmless causes. However, sometimes diseases of the fallopian tubes, the uterus or the ovaries can also be behind it.
Symptoms
In addition to the frequent general symptoms of menopause, which include hot flushes, sweating and changes in the vaginal skin, the bladder, urethra and intestines also become more susceptible to inflammation or other diseases. Mild cyclical pain during menstrual cycles is usually harmless during the menopause and subsides after a few days. However, in some cases, persistent abdominal pain sometimes occurs in conjunction with bleeding or other symptoms. In such cases, a gynecologist should be consulted to clarify the cause of the symptoms. In some cases, the pain may be purely unilateral, for example only on the left side.
Causes
There are various diseases that can cause pain in the ovaries during menopause. Severe and acute lower abdominal pain could, for example, be indicative of acute inflammation of the fallopian tubes and ovaries (pelvic inflammatory disease). This is an infection with bacteria that ascend from the vagina via the uterus into the ovaries.
Ovarian cysts also frequently cause symptoms. A cyst is a fluid-filled cavity that can usually form in the ovary under the influence of sex hormones. Such ovarian cysts can sometimes become very large and, depending on the type, can also produce hormones themselves and lead to continuous bleeding.
Ovarian cysts are usually harmless and benign, but should be checked frequently, especially in women after menopause. A complication of ovarian cysts is when the ovary or a cyst becomes twisted, this is called a torsion or a stylised twist. Blood vessels can become constricted, which is associated with acute severe pain.
Ovarian cysts can also tear and cause bleeding into the abdomen, which does not happen often. Malignant diseases can also manifest themselves through pain in the area of the ovaries during the menopause. Ovarian cancer in particular (ovarian carcinoma) occurs more frequently in women between 50 and 70 years of age, which is why regular check-ups are particularly important.