Uterus - a small organ, resembling a pear shape, located in the pelvic region of women. Uterus, bladder and bowel supports "hammock" of muscles located between the coccyx and the pubic bone. These muscles are called the pelvic floor muscles, and play an important role in the implementation of various functions related to the genitourinary system. Furthermore, the uterus is maintained in position ligament and connective tissue. If these tissues are damaged or weaken, the uterus may begin to move down towards the vagina. This condition is called uterine prolapse, or uterine prolapse.

Symptoms of uterine prolapse

Omission of the uterus can cause the following symptoms:

• Heaviness and pressure in the vagina;
• The appearance of convexity inside the vagina, which is easy to find with your finger;
• The cervix or uterus itself is below the entrance of the vagina;
• More abundant than normal, vaginal discharge;
• Pain during sexual intercourse.

Stages of uterine prolapse

The steps of this violation is shared on the basis of how much has fallen uterus. In most cases, prolapse of the uterus begin to fall, and other pelvic organs (eg, bladder), and the ovaries are located significantly lower than in healthy women. There are the following stages of uterine prolapse:

• Stage I - the uterus is located in the upper half of the vagina;
• Stage II - the uterus has fallen almost to the entrance of the vagina;
• Stage III - the uterus can be seen in the opening of the vagina;
• Stage IV - the uterus is completely outside of the vagina.

The reasons for the omission of the uterus

The most common causes of prolapse of the uterus are:

• Pregnancy, especially if a woman bears two or more children;
• Natural childbirth. Chance of uterine prolapse is particularly great if the child was born a very large, if the birth took place very quickly, or if attempts lasted an unusually long time;
• Obesity;
• Disorders due to which a woman has very strong push during a bowel movement;
• Reduced estrogen levels after menopause;
• Very bad cough caused by diseases such as chronic bronchitis or asthma;
• Uterine fibroids;
• In rare cases - tumors of the pelvic organs.

Treatment

Omission of the uterus can be treated with both surgical and non-surgical methods. The choice of treatment depends on the stage of the disease, the overall health of the patient, but also on whether it intends to have children in the future.

• Exercises for the pelvic floor muscles. The first and second stage for the treatment of uterine prolapse successfully used special exercises, but to achieve a good result they must be used properly and for a sufficiently long time. The information below may give you some idea of ​​these exercises, but if you have a prolapse of the uterus, it can not be used for self-treatment - with this disorder should always seek medical advice.

Perform exercises for the pelvic floor muscle training is fairly easy: you just need to tighten vaginal muscles as if you are trying to hold back urine; likewise compressed anus - as if you held back defecation. These exercises can be done lying down, sitting or standing - you can do it in bed in the mornings and evenings, while traveling to work, or sitting in a meeting. Usually it recommended to patients for at least five or six approaches a day, every ten repeats (one repeat is to hold the pelvic floor muscles tense for at least five seconds at a time).

• Vaginal pessary - slight adaptation of a flexible material that is inserted into the vagina to support the uterus. There pessaries of various shapes and sizes, and each patient the doctor will be able to choose a pessary, the most convenient and efficient for it. Patients are free to enter and remove pessaries, although they will still need to see your doctor regularly so that he can assess the effectiveness of treatment. When combined with exercises for the muscles of the pelvic floor pessary can be a very effective treatment for prolapse of the uterus, but it is not suitable for all patients.
• Surgery may be necessary in severe forms of uterine prolapse. At the time of surgery to treat this disorder often performed using a laparoscope, which is introduced into the pelvic area through the umbilicus. The uterus is returned to its original location, and adjust its supporting tissues. This operation can also be performed through an incision in the abdomen, but in this case it will be linked to an increased risk of complications, and the recovery period will be longer than after laparoscopy.

If you do not treat the cause of the initial omission of the uterus (eg, a disease caused by a bad cough) may occur after surgery recurrence.

Prevention

Regular exercises to develop the muscles of the pelvic floor during pregnancy, after childbirth and menopause helps to dramatically reduce the chance of uterine prolapse. If constipation is enough to slightly change their diet - add a more fresh vegetables, fruits and dairy products.

Women who suffer from obesity, the risk of uterine prolapse is reduced after weight loss. Any other disorders that could potentially cause uterine prolapse, should be treated when the first symptoms, do not wait until complications start to appear.

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