Bladder Drop

The body is really a remarkable thing when you think about it. It’s so intricately put together, that it’s almost impossible to fathom how every little part is somehow interconnected. For the majority of our lives, if we’re lucky, we rarely have to think about its daily functioning. After all, we’d all get a little crazy if we needed to be conscious of every bodily sensation including breathing or blinking. When things don’t work perfectly, however, it can be quite alarming and disruptive from day to day.

Women especially face many possible complications as they get older due to life circumstances and how the body responds. Think about how pregnancy can change the body on multiple levels, for example. Many of the conditions you’d speak to your urogynecologist about can feel both disruptive to your life and embarrassing or make you self-conscious. If you’re suffering with troubling symptoms that are making your life more difficult, know that the condition you’re suffering from is probably quite common and treatable.

Take uterine prolapse or bladder drop, as an example. The two conditions are closely intertwined and more or less occur for the same reasons.

Because it’s such a common occurrence, it’s important to get the facts on bladder drop and learn how it can be treated. Keep in mind that everyone experiences the same condition differently due to severity and because everyone’s bodies are different. The symptoms you have may differ somewhat from another person you know suffering with the same condition. Regardless of severity, it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis of what’s going on because many conditions share symptoms. You may think you have something simple and benign that may actually not be. That’s why it’s so important to regularly see your urogynecologist, especially if you’re experiencing any new symptoms.

Symptoms of bladder drop

The symptoms of bladder drop can be similar to other conditions because of how common symptoms regarding painful sex, urinary incontinence, and general discomfort can be. While these symptoms can make your life more difficult than it needs to be, the real reason why you want to see your urogynecologist for an accurate diagnosis is so you can rule out similar, but more serious conditions like tumors or painful growths.

The typical symptoms of bladder drop are the aforementioned painful sex, incontinence, difficulty urinating, pressure, heaviness, an aching sensation that become more intense during menstruation, frequent UTIs, discharge, and visible tissue protruding from the vagina.

What causes it?

Various things can cause the bladder to drop or uterine prolapse, but the common thread is pressure of some kind on the musculature of the lower body. That’s why this condition is so often associated with pregnancy. Keep in mind that many of the organs in the pelvic area are kept in place by ligaments and smaller muscles that can be stressed beyond their limits from exertion. While pregnancy is a major cause, so is obesity. Chronic constipation can cause bladder drop because of the consistent exertion of all the muscles in the pelvis. Menopause can even be a culprit because estrogen is what supports the muscles and with the lowered production that comes with menopause, weakness can develop. It’s believed that up to half of women suffer from prolapse at least temporarily following childbirth, but very few seek treatment.

Can it be treated?

Yes, bladder drop can be treated. It really depends on the severity. A mild case can be reversed with strengthening exercises that develop the muscles again and keep everything in place. Many women don’t even know they have bladder drop if its asymptomatic and they heal over time. For those who are experiencing the more serious and disruptive symptoms, Kegels may not be enough. Estrogen treatments may be used to try and add support to the pelvic muscles. Barring that, surgery is used with fair regularity. Often this comes in the form of a hysterectomy. If surgery isn’t an option, a supportive device can be implanted to help keep the organs in place. Only your urogynecologist can evaluate what stage of prolapse you are in and what the best course of treatment would be for your individual situation.

Conclusion

Bladder drop affects hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of women in the United States alone every year. It’s so common that getting a diagnosis should be relatively simple and straightforward. While it’s not life threatening the way some conditions are, it can be a condition that makes your life more difficult, to say nothing of the toll it can take on your self-confidence. If you’re experiencing troubling symptoms, contact us today to schedule an appointment. The team at Southeast Urogyn is here to provide you with the care you need so you can get back to living life comfortably and free of troubling bladder drop symptoms.