Experiences with
Pelvic organ prolapseSymptoms of pelvic organ prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms include:
- 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
- discomfort or numbness during sex
- problems peeing – such as feeling like your bladder is not emptying fully, needing to go to the toilet more often, or leaking a small amount of pee when you cough, sneeze or exercise (stress incontinence)
Sometimes pelvic organ prolapse has no symptoms and is found during an internal examination carried out for another reason, such as cervical screening.
Treatment for pelvic organ prolapse
If you do not have any symptoms, or the prolapse is mild and not bothering you, you may not need medical treatment.
But making some lifestyle changes will probably still help.
These include:
- losing weight if you're overweight
- avoiding heavy lifting
- preventing or treating constipation
If the prolapse is more severe or your symptoms are affecting your daily life, there are several further treatment options to consider.
These include:
- pelvic floor exercises
- hormone treatment
- vaginal pessaries
- surgery
The recommended treatment will depend on the type and severity of the prolapse, your symptoms and your overall health.
You and your doctor will decide together what's the best option for you.
Causes of pelvic organ prolapse
Pelvic organ prolapse happens when the group of muscles and tissues that normally support the pelvic organs, called the pelvic floor, becomes weakened and cannot hold the organs in place firmly.
A number of things can weaken your pelvic floor and increase your chance of developing pelvic organ prolapse.
These include:
- pregnancy and childbirth – especially if you had a long, difficult birth, or if you gave birth to a large baby or multiple babies
- getting older and going through the menopause
- being overweight
- having long-term constipation or a long-term health condition that causes you to cough and strain
- having a hysterectomy
- a job that requires a lot of heavy lifting
Some health conditions can also make a prolapse more likely, including:
SymptomsMedical treatmentsCausesSymptoms of pelvic organ prolapse include discomfort in your vagina, a bulge or lump in your vagina and needing to pee more than usual.
Treatments for pelvic organ prolapse include pelvic floor exercises, hormone medicines and sometimes surgery.
Things that can cause a pelvic organ prolapse include pregnancy and childbirth, going through the menopause and being overweight.
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