In these cases, if you have a true connective tissue disorder (that wasn't brought on by pregnancy or childbirth), the onset of vaginal prolapse is more likely to occur at an earlier age, like your late 20s or early 30s.
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.
Urethral prolapse occurs exclusively in females, and is most common in young girls before puberty (between the ages of 10 and 14 for girls*). It is more likely to occur in girls who are African American or Hispanic.
Most children who experience mild rectal prolapse can be treated by their pediatrician and likely won't have another one. But for kids who have frequent or severe prolapse, treatment by a specialist is often necessary.
Although rectal prolapse can affect anyone, it is most common in adults, and women ages 50 and older have six times the risk as men. 1 It occurs in children, usually between infancy and 4 years of age, who have an underlying predisposing condition.
One in four women over the age of 18 reports reports suffering from a pelvic floor disorder, including pelvic organ prolapse.
Symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse
a feeling of heaviness around your lower tummy and genitals. a dragging discomfort inside your vagina. feeling like there's something coming down into your vagina – it may feel like sitting on a small ball. feeling or seeing a bulge or lump in or coming out of your vagina.
The most common disorders that pelvic organ prolapse is mistakenly diagnosed as include urinary and fecal incontinence, constipation, and irritable bowel disease.
How can I feel a prolapsed uterus with my finger? Insert 1 or 2 fingers and place them over the front vaginal wall (facing the bladder) to feel any bulging under your fingers, first with strong coughing and then with sustained bearing down.
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.
Children of both sexes under the age of three years are also commonly affected by rectal prolapse, although the prolapse tends to resolve by itself without the need for surgery. In the early stages of rectal prolapse, a portion of the rectum slips out while passing a bowel motion, but it goes back inside by itself.
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. About half of all women who have a mild (first-grade or second-grade) pelvic organ prolapse also leak urine sometimes.
Signs of Prolapse
Many also leak urine or stool. After having a bowel movement, they feel the rectum isn't completely emptied. Even intimacy can be hampered as sensation in the vagina changes. Emotionally, many women feel embarrassment or shame about their symptoms – uncomfortable even telling their spouse or doctor.
Some people don't feel a prolapsed vagina because the prolapse is mild. Your healthcare provider may discover a mild prolapse during a routine gynecological exam. In other cases, you may feel like a ball is hanging from your vagina or experience pain when peeing or when having sexual intercourse.
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.
Rectal prolapse is when part of the rectum bulges out of the anus. It is most often caused by weakening of the muscles that support the rectum. It can happen from constipation, damage from giving birth, or defects in the pelvis or lower gastrointestinal tract. At first, it may happen only after a bowel movement.
In mild or moderate cases (first- to third-degree prolapse), surgery can often be avoided. Sometimes the organs move back into the correct position on their own, or at least don't drop down further. Many women find that doing pelvic floor exercises and/or using a vaginal pessary is enough to improve the symptoms.
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)
If you develop a prolapse during pregnancy or after the birth of your baby, there is a good chance that it can be temporary, due to your pelvic floor muscles being weakened, and the effects of the relaxin hormone from pregnancy.
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.
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.
Many people with a grade 1 prolapse may not experience any symptoms, or they may be very mild. Women with a grade 2 or 3 level of prolapse often describe a feeling of heaviness or discomfort, or an increase of vaginal pressure.
As you near your period, the cervix drops lower. This can happen immediately after ovulation or may take several days, even a few days into your period. At the middle to end of your period, the cervix may start to rise back up in preparation for ovulation, once again.