Abdominal Pain
Some women can also experience one-sided abdominal pain, occurring mid-cycle, coinciding with ovulation. It is characterized as crampy, occurring on one side, and located in the hypogastric area. Some may even require a visit to the emergency room since the pain may mimic other conditions, such as acute appendicitis.
In the emergency room, it is crucial to do a pregnancy test for any patient of childbearing age that presents with abdominal pain to rule out the possibility of ectopic pregnancy, which is a true emergency. Other conditions that may present with similar pain include ruptured ovarian cysts, ovarian and fallopian tube torsion, pelvic inflammatory disease, and urinary tract infection.
Ovulatory pain, also referred to as mittelschmerz, is caused by normal follicular enlargement occurring at the time of ovulation. Pain is usually mild and tolerable and may last for a few hours to a few days, midway between menstrual cycles. It is not associated with fever, painful urination, heavy bleeding, vomiting, and anorexia. Such symptoms may require further evaluation to check for other possible causes of abdominal pain. A complete blood count and urinalysis can be requested for initial evaluation.
