The Mittelschmerz reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Mittelschmerz

Mittelschmerz is a German word that translates literally to "middle pain". In medicine, the term is used to describe "ovulation pain". Some women have mittelschmerz regularly and can time their ovulation by it but many never experience it.

It is characterised by lower abdominal and pelvic pain that occurs roughly midcycle in a woman's menstrual cycle. It is thought that this is caused by irritation of the peritoneum by bleeding associated with rupture of a follicular cyst during ovulation. The pain subsides within hours and may be accompanied by a small amount of vaginal bleeding.

In theory, going on the pill (oral contraceptive pill) should remove this pain altogether as it prevents ovulation.

The pain of mittelschmerz is sometimes mistaken for appendicitis and is one of the differential diagnoses for appendicitis in women of child-bearing age.

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