Vaginal Prolapse – The signs and symptoms to look out for
Most of you will have heard of a vaginal prolapse or pelvic organ prolapse, but may not be sure exactly what the symptoms are or what to expect or to look out for. It is much more common than you might think. The problem is, because it’s not something that women talk about openly, it is something that often goes much longer than necessary without intervention or support.
There are common symptoms to look out for that can be identified with Vaginal prolapse, these include the following:
- A feeling of pressure, dragging or heaviness around your vagina and inside your vagina walls
- Women with vaginal prolapse often report a feeling of heaviness around the lower abdomen and genitals
- Feeling or seeing a bulge or lump inside the vagina, or coming out of your vagina
- A feeling like there’s something coming down into your vagina or ‘stuck’ in the vagina
Additional Vaginal Prolapse Symptoms
- Discomfort or feeling loose during sexual intercourse
- The pelvic organs all support one another. When one organ prolapses, it can have an impact on the functioning of other nearby organs. Due to this, women have also been known to experience:
- Alterations in patterns of bowel movements – such as difficulty having a bowel movement and need to press in the vagina to assist with this
- Changes in bladder function – this could include the inability to empty the bladder completely
- Difficulty using tampons
- Secondary prolapses
Vaginal Prolapse Causes
There are a number of notable causes of vaginal prolapse, but some of the main causes are as follows:
- Women that have delivered children vaginally, especially repeat deliveries or if you have experienced difficult births
- Women approaching or going through the menopause
- Being overweight
- Chronic need to strain such as constipation
- Previous hysterectomy
Vaginal Prolapse treatment options
The treatment options available will be dependent on the severity of the condition, but these can include:
- Lifestyle changes – These could include weight loss, improved diet, fluid intake and exercise
- Physiotherapy and pelvic floor exercises -see Physiotherapy For Women
- Learning good bowel and bladder habits
- Pessaries can be fitted to provide internal support
- Surgery to repair torn or stretched tissue and ligaments – see https://www.practiceforwomen.co.uk/gynaecology-surgery/
The best thing to do if you are experiencing any of these symptoms that could be attributed to vaginal prolapse, is to seek advice from an experienced professional. Book an appointment with your GP, an experienced pelvic physiotherapist such as Physiotherapy for Women or make an appointment with a Specialist Gynaecologist (Urogynaecologist). That way, you will be able to identify if there is a problem and establish a treatment plan. There are solutions to vaginal prolapse and there is no need to suffer in silence.