Prolapsed Bladder
Prolapsed Bladder Causes
Pregnancy and childbirth commonly cause the condition due to stretched and weakend muscles and ligaments supporting and holding the vagina in place during labor and delivery. The condition may also occur when the the pelvic floor is strained because of obesity, chronic cough or bronchitis, repeatedly lifting weigths, and straining with bowel movements.
Prolapsed Bladder Definition
Prolapsed bladder is the condition in which the bladder bulges into the vagina. It is also called cystocele.
Prolapsed Bladder Diagnosis
The doctor conducts a pelvic examination to check for bulge in your vaginal wall or instructs the patient to act as if defecating in order to see the protrusion of the bladder or other organs into the vagina. The patient may also be asked to to contract the muscles of the pelvis to check the pelvic floor muscles' strength.
Prolapsed Bladder Symptoms and Signs
Mild conditions may not have noticeable symptoms. But they may present through a feeling of fullness or pressure in the pelvis and vagina, recurrent bladder infections, and pain or urinary leakage during sexual intercourse. Some individuals experience an increased discomfort when straining, coughing, and bearing down or lifting . In severe cases, a bulge of tissue protrudes through the vaginal opening but usually disappears when the patient lies down. In other severe cases, the patient may be unable control urination.
Prolapsed Bladder Treatment
A mild and moderate condition are treated throughself-care measures or nonsurgical treatments. Severe cases are treated through surgery, which keeps the the vagina and other pelvic organs in their proper positions. Other patients undergo a pessary, in which a plastic or rubber ring is inserted in the vagina to hold the bladder in its proper position. Others undergo estrogen therapy.