The pelvic floor consists of muscles and connective tissue as well as vessels and nerves. At least 25 per cent of all women are affected by pelvic floor weakness in their lifetime.
It can help to start pelvic floor physiotherapy and training at an early age, ideally as early as teenage years. In addition, the previously mentioned risk factors should be avoided: Obesity, chronic coughing (smoking) and chronic constipation (appropriate diet).
Risk factors
The main triggers and risk factors are age, menopause, heavy physical labour, obesity, chronic cough and constipation, pregnancy and childbirth.
Causes
text
Symptoms
Typical symptoms are a foreign body sensation, a "balloon" in front of the vaginal entrance, a "feeling of pressure" in the lower abdomen, slower emptying of the bladder, frequent urination and difficult defecation. The symptoms can occur individually or in combination. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms are bothersome and impair your quality of life.
Diagnosis
Pelvic floor weakness and prolapse is detected and diagnosed by a gynaecological examination.
Therapy
Treatment is conservative with pelvic floor physiotherapy, pessaries, hormone fat creams or various medications.
If these have no effect, disturb the symptoms and restrict the quality of life, surgery can be performed. Surgery is only performed at the request of the patient. Additional examinations such as ultrasound, MRI, cystoscopy, etc. are used to decide which surgical technique is best.