Ovulation pain refers to the pain and discomfort that a woman experience during her menstrual cycle. The exact cause is unknown though experts believed that it may be the result of the follicle emerging and stretching the membrane of the ovary. Another theory is that slight bleeding from a ruptured follicle could have irritated the abdominal lining and triggers pain.
The pain during ovulation can also be a symptom of an underlying medical problem such as:
- Cyst – Ovarian cyst, dermoid cysts, cystadenomas, and endometriomas are some of the common types of cysts and might cause pain.
- Salpingitis – Inflammation of the fallopian tubes.
- Chronic Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – Inflammation following an infection.
- Endometriosis – The lining of the womb (endometrium) grows in other locations, such as the bowel.
- Ectopic pregnancy – A pregnancy that develops outside of the womb.