Prolapse

A prolapse can cause very unpleasant and sometimes painful symptoms. Often a feeling of pressure, fullness or heaviness in the pelvis; vagina, abdomen, legs or groin. Complaints can be very unpleasant, especially during urination, defecation and sex. Due to the damage to muscle and connective tissue, the bladder, intestines and uterus no longer sit/stay neatly in place and can protrude through/towards the vagina. When pushing, for example during defecation, it comes out downwards or, in severe cases, through the vagina or anus. Unfortunately, prolapse is not reversible because the connective tissue that holds the organs in place is stretched. However, you can do many supportive things. The most important thing is strengthening the pelvic floor. A healthy pelvic floor will support the organs better and keep them in place. It is very important to work on strengthening and vitalizing the pelvic floor at the first symptoms. >.
If in doubt, always visit a doctor.

Prolapses can occur in various places in the pelvic area, such as a uterine prolapse, where the uterus descends into the vagina. A front wall prolapse, where the bladder comes down, or a posterior wall prolapse, where the intestine comes out.
There may be a combination of the above prolapses.

Although it is less common, men can also experience prolapse.

Many prolapses are the result of too much pressure on the connective tissue (usually during childbirth). The muscle and connective tissue (in the pelvic area) becomes weaker during pregnancy due to the influence of hormones. This makes the connective tissue quite vulnerable during childbirth. Prolapse can also occur during pregnancy, due to the continuous stretching and pressure on the muscle and connective tissue. If the prolapse is the result of pregnancy or childbirth, you do not necessarily experience complaints immediately after giving birth. Many women only notice symptoms of prolapse after menopause, because the vitality of the pelvic area drastically decreases (again under the influence of hormones (decrease in estrogen)). Prolapse is therefore a typical ailment for mothers. Of adult women, 25% suffer from prolapse, and 10% of women require treatment for this.

A prolapse can first appear during menopause, but it can also occur (less commonly) during menopause, because the muscles and connective tissue become weaker due to changing hormone balances. In addition, a prolapse can be caused by heavy pressure on the pelvis (for example during heavy work (lifting), or due to excess weight). Internal pressure such as straining during defecation or chronic coughing can also be a cause of a prolapse. People with general weakness in the muscle and connective tissue and people with genetic disease or predisposition are more vulnerable to developing prolapse.

What types of subsidence are there?

• bladder prolapse (cystocele)
• uterine prolapse (uterine prolapse)
• intestinal prolapse (rectocele)

Complaints with a prolapse:

• Pressive, full or heavy feeling in the pelvis/vagina, lower abdomen, legs or groin
• Protrusion near the vagina, sometimes only during defecation
• Difficulty defecating, pain or constipation
• Regularly recurring bladder infection
• Frequent urination and difficulty holding it in
• Urine loss during exertion (sneezing, coughing, jumping, laughing)

Do you think you have a prolapse?

Are you not sure whether you have a prolapse, but do you recognize yourself in the complaints or the above description?
Make an appointment with your GP and be referred to a gynaecologist. This specialist will look internally (with a duck's bill) and feel the vaginal wall to assess whether there is a prolapse. An internal ultrasound can be used to determine the extent to which the uterus, bladder and intestines are in place.

Treatment of a prolapse

The type of treatment depends on the degree of subsidence.

Strengthening and training the pelvic floor will be wise advice in all cases. Now you happen to be on a website that is about that :-). Working with the yoni egg is an ideally powerful and valuable way to reduce complaints. In the case of mild prolapse, training the pelvic floor will probably be sufficient to control the symptoms of the prolapse.
Here you will find specific exercises that are suitable for strengthening the pelvic floor.

For moderate prolapse, where training the pelvic floor is not sufficient, a pessary will probably be recommended. If you still want to have children, an attempt will also be made to deal with the complaints with a pessary, because surgery entails risks for a possible pregnancy.

The last option is surgery. Various operations are possible, depending on where the prolapse is and what the cause is. For example on this website you can find here more information about

What should you pay attention to?

In addition to doing exercises it is important that you:

• walks & do not sit still for more than 30 minutes
• takes any excess weight seriously and tries to lose weight
• don't lift too heavy
• drink enough
• eat rich in fiber and healthy