Q Can a lot of stress cause an ovarian cyst to form or grow?
A Severe stress can disrupt hormonal balance and make the ovulation rhythm irregular, which can be an indirect factor in functional cysts forming more easily or in accompanying symptoms worsening.
Detailed Answer
When cortisol is secreted excessively under severe stress, the hormonal axis running from the hypothalamus to the pituitary to the ovaries can be disrupted, leading to irregular ovulation. When ovulation does not occur on time, functional cysts in which the follicle fails to rupture and remains as a cyst become more frequent, and if endometriosis is present, weakened immune regulation tends to worsen symptoms. Stress itself is not a direct cause of cysts, but it should be managed as an indirect contributing factor that affects the hormonal environment and immune function.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, strong emotional stress is seen as stagnating the liver's energy (liver qi stagnation, gangi-uljeol), which blocks blood flow. At Dongjedang, alongside pelvic circulation treatment, we add herbal formulas that soothe the liver (sogan) to relax a body stiffened by stress and help the hormonal rhythm stabilize.
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