9 Things to Know About a Prolapsed Uterus by Bijalben Shah
Posted by CPR NashvilleTN at 2:24 pm 0 Comment Print
Prolapse means to fall out of place. Uterus prolapse occurs when uterus fall down or slip out from its normal position into or through the vagina. Uterus is an organ of the female reproductive system which is located inside the pelvis. The pelvic floor that is a group of muscles and ligaments attach to our pubic bone and our tail bone. That muscles and ligament of the pelvic floor support and held the uterus in its position. If these muscles and structures weaken and stretch, it cannot support the uterus, and the uterus falls down into or protrudes out of the vagina.
1. Prolapse uterus can affect any women at any age and anything that puts pressure on the pelvic floor.
2. The common causes of the pelvic floor weaken including pregnancy and childbirth. Women who have had one or more vaginal birth, with large babies, or after a difficult labor and delivery can damage to pelvic muscles and supportive tissues may lead to prolapse.
3. Other factors for uterus prolapse including, obesity, chronic coughing, chronic constipation that put pressure on pelvic floor. Women with overweight and who frequently strains due to constipation, increases the pressure inside the women’s abdomen.
4. Estrogen gives strength and elasticity to vaginal tissue. As women get older, it decreases estrogen hormone levels that cause pelvic floor muscles less supportive and uterus can collapse into vaginal canal called prolapsed uterus.
5. Prolapsed uterus can be categorized in three different stages. It can be complete or incomplete depending on how far it’s descending from its place.
- First type of prolapse occurs when the uterus drops into upper part of the vagina.
- Second type of prolapse occurs when the uterus sticking to the opening to the vagina.
- Third type of prolapse occurs when the entire uterus is outside the vagina.
It can be one of three types of prolapsed uterus that depend on the severity of the condition.
6. There are no symptoms in woman who has mild prolapsed uterus. However, the uterus moves further out of its position can give pressure on pelvic floor or makes uncomfortable daily life causing variety of symptoms.
7. The most common symptom is to feeling pressure on pelvis. Other including, feeling as we are sitting on a small ball, vaginal bleeding or excessive discharge from the vagina, pain during sexual intercourse, feeling something is coming out of the vagina, low back pain, and trouble of having a bowel movement or difficulty in urination.
8. Uterus prolapse can be uncomfortable and painful. It is good to notify health care professional with any of these symptoms.
9. There are surgical and non-surgical treatment applied to patient depending upon their severity to support the uterus. Minor prolapsed can be treated with exercise to strength pelvic floor muscle, Obese patients’ encouraged losing weight in order to reduce pressure on pelvic floor, and more serious prolapsed uterus requires surgical treatment that can support prolapsed uterus. A woman who doesn’t want to do surgery is asked to wear vaginal ring called pessary in the vaginal canal in order to support the uterus. It can be only effective if it’s cleaned and checked often as needed.
Pelvic floor muscles and ligaments held the uterus in its position. Due to weekend muscles and ligaments uterus slips down to its position called prolapsed uterus. Causes are childbirth, menopause, obesity, and anything put pressure on pelvis. Pelvic floor exercise, surgery, and pessaries are used to treat prolapsed uterus.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/uterine-prolapse/DS00700
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001508.htm