Get An In Depth Understanding About Pelvic Prolapses

Out of all of these organs, prolapse of the bladder is the commonest occurrence. Pelvic organ prolapses (POP) has a higher incidence among older women and women with a family history of the same. Typically, the muscles and ligaments of your pelvic floor hold all of these organs in place. However, any circumstances that may weaken these muscles such as excessive straining at the time of childbirth are likely to result in less support and subsequent prolapse of a pelvic organ.

This could happen with a number of organs within your pelvis including:

• Bladder
• Uterus
• Rectum
• Small bowel
• Urethra
• Vagina

What Causes Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Several conditions may cause a pelvic organ to prolapse along the vaginal walls. However, most of these conditions are linked with weak or over-stretched pelvic floor muscles. Here's a list of the conditions that could possibly lead to a POP. A big baby and/or a long and difficult labor causing excessive strain of the pelvic muscles during childbirth is the commonest cause of POP in women.

•  Obesity
•  Chronic constipation that makes the woman strain excessively to pass motion
•  Smoking and recurrent cough that may elevate abdominal pressure over the pelvis
•  Hysterectomy or removal of the uterus may result in less support for its surrounding pelvic organs and subsequent prolapse
•  Tumors of the pelvic organs that may exert pressure on the pelvic muscles
•  A family history of pelvic organ prolapse. Generally, the tendency to have weaker pelvic  muscles tends to run in families
•   Heavy-lifting
• Nervous disorders like multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or muscular dystrophy

How To Find Out That You Have Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

Most women with POP first realize that somethings not quite right when they feel a pressure against their vagina. However, this isn't the only way to know if you have a POP. There is a list of symptoms associated with this condition, and one may experience any one or more of these symptoms.

•  A bearing down sensation or pressure along the vaginal walls due to the prolapsed organ exerting pressure on the vagina and pelvic floor. Women often equate this sensation to a perception of something drooping out of the vagina.
• A fullness in the lower abdomen
• Lower backache
• Urinary incontinence or an involuntary release of urine from the urethra
• Pain in the vagina during sexual intercourse
• Bowel trouble mainly constipation
•  A perceptible bulge or protuberance of tissue in or out of the vagina

How Is Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treated?

POP is usually long-lasting and not very bothersome in the initial stages. Most women are successful in improving their symptoms with a few lifestyle modifications such as:

• Weight loss
•  Pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor
•  Timely treatment of constipation with laxatives and fiber-rich food. Ideally, the best way to deal with constipation if to consume 20 grams or more of fiber and 1-1.5 liters of water daily.
•  Avoiding heavy-lifting
• These lifestyle modifications are sometimes accompanied with an insertion of a pessary into the uterus or vagina to mechanically support the prolapsed areas and prevent them from exerting pressure on the surrounding organs or vagina.

However, if the symptoms of POP are niggling enough to interfere with your daily chores or activities, your doctor is likely to consider surgery. Generally, pelvic floor reconstruction surgery is performed to keep the pelvic organs in place and provide support along the pelvic floor muscles. Additionally, in women with prolapse of the uterus, removal of the uterus in whole or hysterectomy may be considered.

Reference

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