A pelvic organ prolapse is diagnosed when one of your pelvic organs usually your bladder drops out of place and starts to push against the vagina. This is a common occurrence in women whose bladder walls have been stretched and weakened either through having children or surgery.
Pelvic organ prolapses are quite common, and whilst uncomfortable they are not life threatening. Dependent on when and how the prolapse occurred sometimes the problem can be repaired through a series of exercise routines or for more severe cases with surgery.
How Did I Get a Pelvic Prolapse?
The most common cause of a pelvic prolapse is the straining that takes place during childbirth, due to the strain placed on the muscles in your lower stomach. Most women, especially if they are young, fit and healthy will recover from the stretching fairly easily but that isn’t the case for everyone.
Another known cause for pelvic organ prolapse is having a hysterectomy, as the removal of the uterus can often leave your other pelvic organs with reduced support.
Basically a pelvic organ prolapse can be exacerbated by anything that puts pressure on your lower stomach region. Some of the most common things being excessive weight, consistent coughing or being constipated on a regular basis and straining in your lower regions.
Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms are more commonly found in older women and they do tend to be inherited through your family.
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How Do I Know If I Have a Pelvic Organ Prolapse?
The most common symptoms of a prolapse are:
- Feeling as if you constantly need to urinate.
- Pressure in your lower stomach
- Feeling constantly bloated and over full
- Having incontinence problems
- Feeling pain in your lower area whilst having intercourse
- Frequent constipation and bowel problems
How Are Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptoms Treated?
The first thing to do if you suspect something is wrong is to visit your local GP and he will ask you a number of questions and perform a pelvic examination. Based on his findings as to the severity of your pelvic organ prolapse he can recommend several options.
If you only have a relatively mild prolapse he can recommend exercise for you to do at home to strengthen the weakened muscles. He will also suggest you modify your diet to exclude or reduce caffeine intake as this is a diuretic and cause you to urinate more frequently. You will need to avoid any heavy lifting until you are fit again.
If you have more serious symptoms your doctor may recommend surgery, but you will still need to exercise the muscles after surgery to avoid a re-occurrence. If you are having pelvic organ prolapse problems, be sure to get a free case evaluation today.