Though often bothersome, pelvic organ prolapse usually is not serious. Some patients do not even have symptoms. It is generally not life-threatening and often can be treated effectively. Potential complications that may be cause for concern in severe cases include the risk of kidney damage or recurrent urinary tract infections if urine flow is blocked and the potential for developing urinary or bowel incontinence.
Female Reproductive System Disorders
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the female reproductive system is highly fragile and vulnerable to a number of infections, injuries, and diseases. For this reason, it is crucial to visit your doctor annually and take good care of your reproductive health. Health practices like having an annual pap smear and practicing safe sex can reduce your risk of many reproductive health problems. If you experience uncomfortable symptoms in your pelvic region including pain, itching, or unusual discharge, call your doctor. While some itching or discharge can be normal, these symptoms can sometimes be indicative of problems that need medical treatment.
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Sigma Nursing answeredHaving a hysterectomy can increase your risk for pelvic organ prolapse. A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. This procedure can have a profound effect on the structures that surround the uterus, including other organs, muscles, connective tissue, and ligaments.
A woman who has had a hysterectomy is at particular risk for a prolapsed vagina or small intestine. A prolapsed vagina involves the upper part of the vagina, which is known as the vaginal vault, dropping down into the lower part of the vagina due to a lack of adequate support by muscles and connective tissue. This can only happen if you have had a hysterectomy. An enterocele involves the intestine and abdominal cavity's lining bulging down into the bottom of the pelvic area between the rectum and the vagina.
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UCLA Health answeredSee All 3 AnswersAlthough you can have surgery to repair pelvic organ prolapse, you cannot cure it on your own—in other words, there's little you can do to make your pelvic organ prolapse go away. Kegel exercises can help your symptoms. Avoiding anything that increases inter-abdominal pressure, like chronic coughing or obesity, can help symptoms and potentially help to prevent the progression of prolapse.
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 2 Answers
In some cases, some symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse might be treated with over-the-counter or prescription medications. For example, if bowel movements are an issue, your doctor might have you take laxatives to soften your stools. If you are postmenopausal, your doctor might have you try local vaginal estrogen therapy because low estrogen levels can affect the strength of the vaginal muscles. Medications are most likely to be used in combination with other treatment options.
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 2 Answers
Some of the potential symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse can be improved with lifestyle changes, such as dietary changes and weight loss. For example, dietary changes may help if the bladder or bowel is affected. Reducing the amount of fluids you drink and avoiding caffeinated drinks can help if you are dealing with urinary incontinence.
Some changes in daily routine may also help, such as only emptying your bladder at specific times. This is called bladder training and may help with urinary incontinence. If your bowel is affected by the prolapse, eating more foods with high fiber content can help keep bowel movements regular and reduce the need to strain during a bowel movement. Losing weight can help reduce the amount of pressure on the prolapse.
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Memorial Hospital of Tampa answeredSee All 2 AnswersIf you can see or feel a bulge coming out of your vaginal area, you may have pelvic prolapse.
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Sigma Nursing answeredSee All 2 Answers
With a pelvic organ prolapse, one or more of a woman's pelvic organs drop or push into her vaginal canal. Sometimes the organ protrudes out of the vagina as well. A prolapse is caused by a failure of weakened or damaged pelvic muscles, ligaments and connective tissue. The organs and structures that can be affected include the vagina, uterus, cervix, bladder, urethra, rectum and small intestine. Depending on the severity of the prolapse and the organ affected, the effects on the body can be minor and cause few or no symptoms or they can be severe enough to cause pain, urinary or bowel incontinence and other complications.
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See All 2 AnswersThe best candidates for pelvic organ prolapse surgery are women whose prolapse bothers them or impacts their quality of life. The more that the prolapse bothers a woman or impacts her quality of life the better a candidate she is for surgery. While most women develop prolapse, many women are not significantly bothered by it. It is very hard to make something that isn’t bothersome better, and all surgery has some risks.
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See All 2 AnswersPelvic organ prolapse is diagnosed clinically by your primary care physician (PCP) or by your gynecologist. -
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See All 4 AnswersSymptoms of pelvic organ prolapse can include vaginal bulge, pain or pressure in the vaginal area, difficulty emptying the bladder, symptoms of an overactive bladder and difficulty passing stool.
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