Health Desk- Ovaries are a part of the female reproductive organs which are located in the pelvis on either side of the uterus. A woman has two ovaries whose job is to produce eggs and the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
What is the main function of ovary?
Your ovaries play an important role in both menstruation and conception. They produce eggs for fertilization and they make the hormones estrogen and progesterone. An ovary releases an egg in the middle of your menstrual cycle (around day 14 of a 28-day cycle) in a process called ovulation.
The size of one ovary (the size of a normal ovary) is approximately the size of an almond. Every month during menstruation, an egg grows in the ovary. This egg develops in a sac called follicle. When this egg matures, it breaks the follicle and comes out of it.
The mature egg is fertilized by the male sperm in the fallopian tube. This is the initial stage of pregnancy.
Some important things related to ovaries-
Being pregnant is a pleasant feeling for every woman, but sometimes due to some reasons they have trouble getting pregnant. The size of the ovaries plays a very important role in conceiving.
1. The size of the ovary changes with the age of the woman.
2. The size of a woman’s ovaries changes during the menstrual cycle.
3. Due to the formation of some kind of lump in the ovary, there is a change in its size.
4. After the onset of menopause, the size of the ovary starts shrinking instead of increasing.
5. Stress affects the size of a woman’s ovaries.
6. When a woman is under stress, her ovaries reduce or stop making eggs.
7. When eggs are being formed in the ovary, then its size is about 5 cm.
8. In most of the cases, the lump formed in the ovary gets cured on its own within a few months.
Due to change in size of ovary-
Ovary size changes due to many reasons. Before reaching puberty and after menopause, the ovaries shrink in size. There are many factors other than age that affect the size of the ovaries.
Changes in the size of the ovaries occur due to fertility treatments and during pregnancy and due to disorders related to the ovaries. The size of the ovaries is directly related to a woman’s ability to conceive. The ability of eggs to be fertilized also depends on the size of the ovary.
Ultrasound can count the number of follicles in the ovaries. The number of follicles can tell whether the egg reserve is low or normal. Large ovary size does not necessarily mean large egg reserve.
Ovaries may increase in size due to a disorder or tumor. In this condition, the woman is not able to ovulate normally. Also there is a problem in getting pregnant. Consult a doctor if you are having trouble conceiving naturally.
