Sometimes thevaginawill move only slightly.
In other cases, the shift can cause symptoms like pain, bladder leakage, and bowel problems.
In severe cases, a prolapse can protrude through the vaginal opening.
Nattakorn Maneerat / Getty Images
While most cases of prolapse respond well to treatments likepelvic floor exercisesandvaginal pessaries, severe cases may require surgery.
Different types can also cause different symptoms, with some causing bladder problems and others causing bowel problems.
These include:
Symptoms
Not everyone with vaginal prolapse has symptoms.
In some cases, a healthcare provider may only discover it during a routinegynecological exam.
Causes and Risk Factors
Vaginal prolapse is a common condition associated with aging.
This typically involves a review of your medical history, a physical exam, and imaging tools.
Severe prolapses may be easily viewed without the need for a rectovaginal exam.
However, if vaginal prolapse causes pain and other symptoms, treatment is likely to be needed.
It can also progressively worsen theloss of bowelorbladder control.
Options include:
Can You Push a Prolapse Back Up?
If you do, it is more likely than not to slip back.
Pushing a prolapse back into the vagina doesn’t correct this.
Doing so repeatedly can also damage tissues and potentially lead to infection.
Prevention
you could’t always prevent vagina prolapse, but there are ways to significantly reduce your risk.
With that said, ERT may improve certain symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, including vaginal pain.
It is more common after menopause and in people who have had multiple vaginal births.
Call your gynecologist to have it checked out.
Severe cases may require surgery.
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