Your pelvis is a fairly crowded space that houses organs and structures from different systems, such as your reproductive, urinary, and digestive systems. Your pelvic floor keeps everything well-supported and in place.
If this floor weakens, organs can shift out of place — a condition we call pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which is a common issue among women. In fact, up to half of women have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse during their lifetimes.
As experts in female urology, the team at Arizona Urology encounters a good deal of pelvic organ prolapse, and here’s what we want you to know about prevention and management.
There are different types of prolapse, including:
Of this list, cystocele (bladder prolapse) is the most common type of prolapse.
Many women have POP but don’t experience symptoms. In fact, one study reports that, “When defined by symptoms, POP has a prevalence rate of 3-6%, and up to 50% when based upon vaginal examination.”
In other words, many women have POP and only find out during a vaginal exam since they have no symptoms.
When symptoms do arise, they differ depending on which organ is prolapsing and where. For example, the most common symptom of bladder prolapse is urge incontinence.
POP may also cause a feeling of pressure in your vagina or changes in urinary or bowel habits.
The answer is yes and no. There is a lot that you can do to improve your pelvic floor and give yourself the best chance of avoiding POP. Here are the risk factors that make you more susceptible to POP:
You can turn that list of negatives into a positive by viewing it as a path toward POP prevention. For example, you may be able to prevent or manage POP by:
While each of these steps is fantastic for keeping your pelvic floor healthy, it’s important to go a step further and proactively strengthen these tissues through daily Kegel exercises.
We have an innovative tool that can be a difference-maker — Emsella®— which delivers high-intensity focused electromagnetic pulses that cause your pelvic floor to contract, giving it a great workout in mere minutes.
If you have advanced POP, these steps are great, but we might also turn to a pessary, which is a device that you insert into your vagina to provide additional support. And, in extreme cases, we can take a surgical approach to re-establish support for your pelvic organs.
As you can see, there’s plenty you can do to prevent and manage POP, and we’re happy to evaluate the health of your pelvic floor so you have a better idea of where to start. To get on the road to a stronger pelvic floor, please contact us at one of our offices in Phoenix, Goodyear, Gilbert, and Glendale, Arizona, today to schedule a consultation.
