Ovulation pain and bleeding

Ovulation pain and bleeding are not universal by any means, but they are not uncommon either. Ovulation pain refers to abdominal discomfort or pressure around the time of ovulation, while ovulation bleeding or spotting is a light bleeding mid-cycle. What causes ovulation pain and bleeding? Do you need to be worried about them and is there anything you can do to make them go away?

Ovulation pain is experienced by around one in five of all ovulating women. There are a few different theories about the causes of ovulation pain it might be due to a sudden lack of estrogen during this time, or the result of a light bleeding in either the ovary releasing the egg that month, or the cervix. One thing is clear. Ovulation pain, even when accompanied by light spotting or bleeding, is not normally a source of medical worries. Extreme pain and large amounts of blood could be more than your average ovulation pain and bleeding, and might be an ectopic pregnancy, PCOS, an ovarian cyst, endometriosis, or another medical condition instead.

Ovulation bleeding should last for around two to three hours (and a day at most!) and should be so light it is barely noticeable. If you are noticing a bleeding that looks more like menstrual flow, there may be something else going on. Some doctors say that women who have ovulation bleeding are also more likely to experience irregular periods. This is interesting, but I haven't found any evidence to support this theory. Irregular periods, in turn, can be an indication of other reproductive problems in some cases. If you feel any of that applies to you, don't think twice about seeing a doctor if you feel there might be something wrong, or just want to be sure.