Prolapse A Silent Medical Condition

19-Feb-2012 By AnnabelleJ

Here is a medical fact that you might not know.

I certainly didn't until I started working for a medical company who specialise in the pelvic area of the body.

Approximately 50% of Australian women will suffer from some type of pelvic organ prolapse in their lifetime. With a statistic like this, it is important that women of all ages are aware of what prolapse is in case you are one of the unlucky ones.

So what is “prolapse”? Prolapse is a condition where the pelvic floor muscles weaken causing the vagina to bulge, protrude or feel like something has “fallen”. There are three types of prolapse:

1. Vaginal Vault Prolapse – occurs when the upper portion of the vagina (the apex) descends into the vaginal canal

2. Bladder Prolapse – formed when the bladder bulges or falls into the vagina

3. Rectocele – formed when the rectum bulges or falls into the vagina Here are some common causes of prolapse:

• Menopause
• Pregnancy and Childbirth (particularly if you have children later in life)
• Prior Surgery
• Obesity
• Aging

And some common symptoms:

• A bulge or lump in the vagina
• A pulling or stretching feeling in the groin area
• Chronic lower back pain
• Difficult or painful sexual intercourse
• Urinary or fecal incontinence • Difficulty with bowel movements
• Hesitation or slow urinary stream

Despite this only 30% of women affected by prolapse seek treatment. It all sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it?!

If you or anyone you know has prolapse then remember it’s very common. Your gynaecologist should know how to treat it and there are numerous treatment options available to you. Although your gynecologist knows best I would encourage you to research both your gynecologist (word-of-mouth of a trusted source is usually the best) and also to research your condition.

That said do not read so much you get worked up into a frenzy! I’ve done that before and it’s not worth the worry when you realise you’ve been reading about the worse case scenario and actually your condition isn’t half as bad as you’ve let your mind think!