Vaginal prolapse is fairly common. Usually, the strength of the connective tissue or collagen in the vaginal wall reduces with increasing age and with a reduction in hormones. Additionally, gravity pulls the vaginal walls downwards and unless the pelvic floor strength is maintained with very active exercises, the condition will worsen. This is especially the case if a woman has to lift or carry a lot, such as with small children, shopping, or has a heavy lifting job. It can also happen after childbirth.
There are several different types of prolapse that have different names depending on where the organ has dropped from. The different types of pelvic organ prolapse can include:
- Vaginal Prolapse - The top of your vagina droops down into your vaginal canal
- Uterine Prolapse - Your uterus bulges or slips into your vagina sometimes so far that it comes out of your vaginal opening. In severe cases, you’ll feel vaginal tissue rubbing against your clothes
- Cystocoele - Your bladder drops into your vagina
- Ureterocoele - Your urethra bulges into your vagina
- Rectocoele - Your rectum bulges into your vagina
- Enterocoele - Your small intestine bulges against the back wall of your vagina
Symptoms include:
- A feeling of fullness, heaviness or pain in the pelvic area. This feeling often gets worse as the day goes on or after standing, lifting or coughing
- Lower back pain
- Bulging in your vagina
- Feeling like something is slipping out of your vagina
- Urinary incontinence
- Recurrent bladder infections
- Difficulty emptying your bowels
- Problems with sexual intercourse
- Problems inserting tampons
Treatment
- Pelvic floor exercises – Many women find that the symptoms of dragging and discomfort improve by with pelvic floor exercises
- Medication - If the vaginal skin and pelvic floor muscles are weakening due to hormones, then the use of local oestrogens such as pessaries, creams or rings may improve the strength of the collagen and improve the ability of the tissues to respond to the exercises that you are doing
- Vaginal repair - A surgical procedure where the folds in the front and/or back walls of the vagina will be tightened up and replaced to the correct position. This is done under a general anaesthetic.