Ovulation cramps: what it is and how to know if you suffer from “middle pain” –

Suddenly, you feel a pain that looks like colic. There’s only one detail: your menstrual period is still far from happening. Common sense answers: it’s ovulation colic. And, yes, it is possible to experience pain at this stage of the cycle.

According to doctor Rodrigo Rosagynecologist and obstetrician specialist in human reproduction, these pains are, in fact, common and are called by the medical community “ovulation pain”.

But let’s go by parts. Ovulation, explains the doctor, occurs when the dominant follicle ruptures, releasing the egg inside it. This egg can then be captured by the uterine tube and eventually be fertilized by a sperm.

“Ovulation happens after recruitment of one of the follicles in the ovary in that menstrual cycle, and is preceded by the surge of a hormone called LH (luteinizing hormone),” says Dr. Rodrigo. “After 36 hours of this peak, the follicle that grew (and is the dominant follicle) ruptures, when it is approximately 20 mm.”

Now, yes, it is easier to understand how and why many women feel pain during this phase:

“About 20% of women may have so-called ovulation pain, or ‘middle pain’, and this pain occurs due to the rupture of the follicle itself with a small amount of bleeding from micro blood vessels that were in the ovary. This blood, when falling into the pelvic cavity, can cause pain. But it is a punctual and low-intensity pain, ”she explains.

The need to alleviate these pains depends on each case and it is valid to consult a gynecologist if they are too intense, but the doctor explains that an anti-inflammatory is enough to relieve the pain in the middle. What is not normal, however, is if these pains are accompanied by other symptoms or pain during sexual intercourse, which may be an indicative sign of endometriosis – therefore, the reinforcement of always consulting a doctor is even more important. .