Uterine prolapse occurs when the muscles and tissue in your pelvis weaken. The weakness lets the uterus drop down into your vagina. Sometimes, it comes out through your vaginal opening. Nearly half of all women between ages 50 and 79 have this condition.
Speak to your doctor if:
You think you might have a prolapse or you have symptoms of a prolapse such as: a feeling of a bulge or something coming down the vagina. a feeling of a bulge or something coming out the vagina, which sometimes needs pushed back up (you may be able to see this with a mirror)
For some women, their prolapse gets worse over time. For others, their prolapse will stay the same with conservative treatment options. Prolapse generally does not improve without surgery, but symptoms can be managed with less invasive treatment options.
Up to 1/3 of these women will undergo repeat surgery. The incidence of surgery for prolapse seems to increase with age. The peak age group for women undergoing urinary incontinence surgery is the 40-50 year old group. Increasingly we are seeing younger women who are unwilling to “put up with” these problems.
Uterine prolapse is a condition where the muscles and tissues around your uterus become weak. This causes your uterus to sag or drop down into your vagina. It can happen to anyone assigned female at birth (AFAB), but is most common after menopause and in people who've had more than one vaginal delivery.
A prolapse is not life threatening, but it can cause pain and discomfort. Symptoms can usually be improved with pelvic floor exercises and lifestyle changes, but sometimes medical treatment is needed.
Stage I – the uterus is in the upper half of the vagina. Stage II – the uterus has descended nearly to the opening of the vagina. Stage III – the uterus protrudes out of the vagina. Stage IV – the uterus is completely out of the vagina.
If prolapse is untreated, what can occur? Prolapse is not a dangerous condition, but it can be uncomfortable. Symptoms of prolapse can include a sensation of pressure in the pelvis or vagina, difficulty emptying your bowels or bladder, and discomfort if the uterine tissue bulges out of the vaginal opening.
Surgery is usually done only when the prolapse is affecting your daily life and your doctor thinks surgery will help. Consider surgery if: The prolapse causes pain. You have problems with your bladder and bowels.
Pelvic organ prolapse doesn't necessarily get worse over time, and you may not need treatment if the symptoms are not affecting your daily life. Nonsurgical treatments for pelvic organ prolapse can reduce the pain and pressure of mild-to-moderate prolapse and preserve fertility if the uterus is prolapsed.
At present, the cost of female genital surgery (also known as labiaplasty or vulvoplasty), which involves the changing of the size and shape of the vagina, are only reimbursed under Medicare if a doctor deems it a medical necessity.
If you have pelvic organ prolapse, avoid things that could make it worse. That means don't lift, strain, or pull. If possible, try not to be on your feet for long periods of time. Some women find that they feel more pressure when they stand a lot.
Symptoms of moderate to severe uterine prolapse include: Seeing or feeling tissue bulge out of the vagina. Feeling heaviness or pulling in the pelvis. Feeling like the bladder doesn't empty all the way when you use the bathroom.
What type of exercise is best for pelvic organ prolapse? Aerobic exercises three to five times a week (walking, cycling, swimming etc). Aerobic exercise helps your cardiovascular system, muscles, tendons and ligaments to stay strong and will also help you maintain to the correct weight (BMI) for your height and age.
Yes, you absolutely can exercise safely with prolapse, or prevent it while your body is healing postpartum.
Most women only have a mild prolapse that may even go away again after a few months or years. But it might gradually get worse over time.
Another common problem is that your partner may feel the “bulge” of your prolapse during intercourse. It can feel strange, but since the walls of the vagina are mobile and flexible, likely, you will not experience pain during intercourse.
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help urinary incontinence, treat pelvic organ prolapse, and make sex better too. Everyone can benefit from doing pelvic floor exercises.
No, you can't push a prolapsed vagina back up. Your healthcare provider is the only person who should treat a prolapsed vagina. You may be able to feel a prolapse, and you may need to push the prolapse back up to poop or pee, but pushing the prolapse back up is temporary and will not permanently fix the prolapse.
The longer you sit during the day, the more pressure you exert on the “hammock,” causing damage to your pelvic floor. This can lead to: Pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic organ prolapse.
Drink plenty of water, and eat fruits, vegetables, and other foods that contain fibre. Changes in diet often are enough to improve or reverse a partial prolapse. Do Kegel exercises to help strengthen the muscles of the pelvic area. You do Kegel exercises by tightening the muscles you use when you urinate.
seeing a doctor for any condition that causes coughing and sneezing, such as asthma, chest infections and hay fever, as repetitive sneezing and coughing may cause or worsen a bladder prolapse. keeping within a healthy weight range. Being overweight is known to make symptoms worse.
Similar to a hernia, pelvic organ prolapse can develop quickly, but it can also progress over the course of many years. As many as one in three women will develop prolapse in her lifetime, and up to one in five will have surgery for this very indication.
Abdominal bloating and/or flatulence can be a huge problem for women with prolapse problems. Some ladies find that by the end of the day their abdomen is so bloated that it puts strain on their belly and their prolapse causing abdominal pain and pelvic floor dragging and bulging.
For uterine prolapse, you may see a doctor who specializes in conditions affecting the female reproductive system. This type of doctor is called a gynecologist. Or you may see a doctor who specializes in pelvic floor problems and reconstructive surgery. This type of doctor is called a urogynecologist.