Are you experiencing discomfort and pain in the pelvic floor area? Well, you might be suffering from a disorder caused by weakened muscles and connective tissue, which poses limitations to your movement and disrupts your everyday life.
Most females tend to ignore the symptoms of these conditions for years till finally seeking treatment. In case you suffer from pelvic floor dysfunction, make sure you seek women’s health advice and try therapy.
Learn more about the types, causes, symptoms, and treatment of this medical condition.
Types of Disorders
In females, the pelvic floor refers to a group of muscles, tissues, and ligaments whose role is to support the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus, rectum, intestines, vagina, ovaries, and cervix. When suffering from genital disorders, these muscles tend to weaken, whereas the tissues no longer provide the necessary support.
Pelvic disorders are prevalent in women, affecting one in three females at some point in their lives. One of the most common dysfunctions is urinary incontinence, otherwise known as stress incontinence or lack of bladder control. It refers to the leakage of urine whenever the bladder experiences stress due to pressure increase. It usually occurs when performing normal activities such as sneezing because of the insufficient support of the bladder neck.
Another pelvic floor disorder affecting women is the overactive bladder. As the name implies, this genital dysfunction refers to frequent urinating, exceeding eight times in the course of 24 hours. While the cause of overactive bladder isn’t determined yet, certain foods and drinks are believed to influence bladder nerves, such as coffee, sodas, alcohol, citrus, acidic ingredients, etc.
Pelvic organ prolapse is another common disorder that happens when one of the genital organs leaves its standard position and causes pressure on the vagina walls. Women suffering from such an issue experience tremendous discomfort, bowel and bladder dysfunction, sexual activity problems, etc. Read here about the causes, symptoms, risk factors, and treatment of this condition.
Causes and Risk Factors
The leading cause for pelvic floor disorders in females is undeniably childbirth. The more children a woman gives birth to, the greater the risk of suffering from such a condition. Despite pregnancy and childbirth, there are various risk factors increasing the likelihood of developing these disorders. For example, aging is a common risk factor, as the muscles tend to stretch as females become older.
Moreover, other risk factors include heavy lifting, smoking, obesity, chronic cough, menopause, and chronic constipation. Sometimes, this type of genetic disorder is triggered by either a genetic or congenital medical condition, which weakens the connective tissues.
Symptoms
The symptoms of pelvic floor disorders are relatively obvious, but the majority of women let years go by before undergoing treatment. Some of the symptoms include
- involuntary urine leakage when laughing, coughing, or sneezing
- bladder emptying difficulties
- pain in the area
- no control over your bowel or bladder
- pain during sexual intercourse, prolapse
Treatment
The treatment of pelvic floor disorders includes non-surgical and surgical options, depending on the type of dysfunction. Non-surgical treatments refer to physical therapy like Kegel exercises, medications, injections, and the use of a vaginal pessary. This link, https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000141.htm, teaches females how to do Kegel exercises.
Furthermore, surgical treatments are minimally invasive and recommended for women suffering from a severe form of urinary and bowel incontinence or prolapse. These procedures involve muscle repair or returning the organs to their original position.
Conclusion
The moment you notice some of the symptoms mentioned above, ask for medical assistance.
Your doctor will determine which treatment is suitable for your condition!