The fallen uterus is known as uterine prolapse, and it can affect women at any age. However, this condition is much more common in postmenopausal women who have had more than one vaginal delivery.
It is a silent alteration since many women suffer from it and keep it a secret because they are unclear about what is happening to them. This uterine descent is present as they advance in age, except for some young women who have had multiple traumatic deliveries.
Women who suffer from this alteration do not have related symptoms, so they only become aware of its presence when examined by their gynecologist. In the following FastlyHealarticle, you will learn everything about a fallen uterus: symptoms, treatment, and consequences.
Table of Contents
Fallen uterus: what is it
The fallen uterus is the popular name for what is medically known as uterine prolapse is the descent of the uterus from the pelvic cavity to the outside, something that can happen through the vagina, rectum, or anus. This occurs because the muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor stretch and weaken, ceasing to be adequate support for the uterus, which eventually ends up causing it to fall.
Causes of the fallen uterus
The causes that give rise to the fall of the uterus are:
- Pregnancies
- Long-term or traumatic labor for large-size baby products.
- Obesity.
- Chronic constipation.
- Chronic respiratory diseases such as Bronchitis or chronic cough.
- Decreased levels of estrogen weaken the pelvic floor.
- Menopause.
All these causes can give rise to the fall of the uterus. The control of each of them can prevent the appearance of this alteration.
Uterine prolapse: symptoms
Some of the women who present this alteration, when it is in a mild degree, it is possible that do not present symptoms or that these go unnoticed. On the other hand, when it is moderate or severe, the following signs of a fallen uterus may be evident :
- Feeling of heaviness at the pelvic level.
- Abdominal pressure
- Urinary disorders such as urinary incontinence or retention.
- Trouble having a bowel movement.
- Pain in the lower back.
- Discomfort and pain during sexual intercourse.
- The exit of the uterus at the vaginal level
- Sometimes vaginal bleeding.
Symptoms can appear first thing in the morning and increase during the day.
Uterine prolapse: conservative treatment
Treatment is implemented as long as the symptoms cause discomfort. Currently, there are two ways to treat a fallen uterus. For this, you can opt for conservative or surgical treatment. In conventional medicine, several alternatives improve the patient’s symptoms if she has them:
Vaginal pessary
It is a plastic or rubber ring inserted into the vagina to support the uterus; It is used depending on the needs of each woman. This device resembles the diaphragm used for birth control. Women need to know how to handle it for placement, cleaning, and removal.
This device can give rise to an irritating secretion with a particular odor, so it requires frequent cleaning; in some cases, it must be done by medical or nursing staff.
In some women, the presence of this object can cause alterations in the vaginal mucosa causing damage to the walls of the vagina or interference during sexual intercourse at the time of penetration.
Kegel exercise
These exercises are responsible for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, preventing uterine prolapse from worsening, and improving symptoms. It consists of contracting and relaxing said structures as if the escape of gases was prevented. The contraction must be maintained for 5 seconds and then relax for five more seconds. In the same way, it must be progressively increased until it holds compaction of 10 seconds at a time.
The ideal is to do three sets of 10 repetitions a day; these exercises can be done from anywhere, either in bed or at the desk while you work. The following article explains the exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.
Uterine prolapse: operation
In the most severe cases of uterine prolapse, the only solution to treat a falling uterus is surgery. These are the factors that will depend on whether that is the ideal solution:
- The degree of prolapse that the patient presents.
- From the desire to future pregnancies.
- The interest of preserving vaginal function.
- The age and state of health of the patient.
This intervention can be carried out vaginally or abdominally. Weakened pelvic floor tissue can be repaired; this can be done through tissue grafts, either your own, from a donor or from synthetic material to strengthen the pelvic floor and support the organs located in the pelvis.
There are surgical procedures where removing the uterus is unnecessary, such as sacral colpopexy, which consists of the placement of a mesh to support it.
It is usual to perform a hysterectomy to correct the fallen uterus in severe cases. This surgery carries a higher risk in people with heart, cardiovascular or metabolic diseases.
Consequences of the fallen uterus
The fallen uterus can lead to the prolapse of other organs such as:
- Cystocele: known as anterior vaginal prolapse, is produced by the weakness of the connective tissue that separates the bladder and vagina, which can cause the first to protrude through the vagina.
- Rectocele: posterior vaginal prolapse is produced by the same connective tissue weakness that separates the rectum from the vagina. In this case, it is evident how the rectum protrudes through the vagina. Because of this, it may be challenging to have a bowel movement.
They can also feel pain and urine leakage involuntarily during sexual intercourse. Do not hesitate to go to your gynecologist. Once the symptoms of this alteration appear, he will decide which is the best procedure to follow depending on the degree of prolapse, the signs you present, age, and, of course, the number of children you have.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Fallen uterus: symptoms, treatment, and consequences, we recommend that you enter our category of Female reproductive system.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.