Has something “fallen out” in your pelvic region? Do you feel like something has shifted down there? If so, you may have pelvic organ prolapse, otherwise known as POP. What is POP? POP is the condition in which one or more of your pelvic organs has slipped or fallen out of its original location. Pelvic organs that can prolapse include the bladder, small intestine, rectum or large bowel, and uterus. Each of these types of prolapse has a specific name:
— bladder (cystocele)
— small intestine or bowel (enterocele)
— rectum or large bowel (rectocele)
— uterus (procidentia)
Now that you know about the different types of POP, the next step is to figure out if you have POP, especially if you feel that your pelvic organs have shifted or changed in some way.
5 Questions About POP
If you are unsure about whether you have symptoms of POP, here are 5 questions you should ask yourself:
- Do you feel pulling, stretching, or pressure in your low back or groin?
- Do you see a bulge pushing out of your vagina or feel as if something is falling out of your vagina? (you may need to use a small hand mirror to answer this question)
- Do you experience painful sex?
- Do you feel the pressure of pelvic organs pushing into your vagina or do you feel as if you are sitting on a ball?
- Do you suffer from constipation or difficult urination that is improved when you press your fingers into your abdomen or vagina?
If you answered “Yes” to two or more of these questions, then you very likely have POP. If so, then you should definitely seek medical help from your urologist or ob/gyn. If you are not currently under the care of a urologist, you may need to get a referral from your family doctor.
Even if you did not answer “Yes” to any of the above questions, you may wish to visit your ob/gyn for a checkup. Between 43% and 76% of women who have POP do not experience any symptoms. The only way these women can be correctly diagnosed with POP is with a pelvic exam from an ob/gyn, urologist, or other medical practitioner specializing in women’s pelvic health. If you have not had a routine pelvic exam recently, now is a great time to schedule one. Why? Because treatments for POP are more effective when started early. So get on the phone and schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider of choice just to check that nothing has “popped” out of place down there. It’s the best holiday gift you can give yourself!
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