Are You at Risk for Twisted Ovaries? 7 Facts You Need to Know

 Are You at Risk for Twisted Ovaries? 7 Facts You Need to Know



A twisted ovary, or ovarian torsion, occurs when an ovary flops down and rotates, cutting off its own blood supply in the process. If that happens, you'll probably know that something has gone horribly wrong: think sudden, excruciating pain on one side of your lower abdomen. Here are seven things you should know about who's at risk for a twisted ovary and what to expect if you're unlucky enough to experience it.

THE OLDER YOU ARE, THE LOWER YOUR RISK.

Ovarian torsion is most common among women of childbearing age, so if you're postmenopausal you can relax a little. "With young women, the tissue is more flexible, and the ovary can move and twist with hormonal changes," says Mike Hoaglin, MD, an emergency room physician at Duke University Hospital. After your fertile years, "the ovaries get smaller and are less likely flip unless there's a cyst or mass," adds Janet Choi, MD, medical director at Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in New York City.

That said, it's not impossible for this problem to occur in postmenopausal women or in prepubescent girls. There have even been a few cases of female fetuses being diagnosed in utero.