There are various changes that occur in women’s bodies in their lifetime. The various changes include pregnancy, weight fluctuations, and menstrual cycles. Those changes together with aging and gravity can have a serious effect on the health of women. One of the major concern is the pelvic floor. The pelvic floor acts like a sling that holds the reproductive organs, the bowel, and the bladder in the right position.
It is muscles and ligaments that make up the pelvic floor. Because of several reasons, the muscles and ligaments may become weak over time. When you suffer from a weakened pelvic floor, the organs in your pelvis will shift. As a result, your body could suffer in a number of ways. Through the contracting and relaxing of your pelvic floor muscles, you are able to control bowel movements and urination. In women, muscle relaxation and contraction are important for sexual intercourse.
A common problem that arises due to weak pelvic muscles in women is the pelvic floor dysfunction. Pelvic floor dysfunction makes you unable to control the pelvic muscles. Rather than causing relaxation of pelvic muscles, pelvic muscle dysfunction forces the muscles to contract. As a result, you experienced bowel movement difficulties. When the problem is not addressed, you suffer from long-term colon damage, infection, and discomfort.
For women with pelvic floor disorders, they need to seek help from a urogynecologist. These are specialists in female pelvic medicine. A weak pelvic floor muscles can be noticed through several signs. The symptoms are troubling and might persist which would lower your quality of life.
Urinary incontinence is usually a common sign that your pelvic floor is weakened. The increased urge to go to the bathroom occurs because the bladder has dropped. You might also experience difficulties with bowel movements or inability to control your bower. In some cases, you might experience bulges in your vagina or rectum. You might also experience pain or discomfort and severe bleeding might occur in emergency situations.
When you notice signs of weak pelvic muscles, you should consider visiting a urogynecologist. In order to provide the best solution, the doctor will get to the root cause of the problem. Ensure the urogynecologist you are visiting is qualified and experienced like Dr. Lotze. Depending on your situation, the doctor will recommend the best treatment plan.
Every situation is unique and, therefore, the treatment would also be different. To help in strengthening your pelvic floor, Kegel exercises may be recommended. Also, medications may be given for muscle relaxation. A surgical procedure will be an option for severe cases such as rectal prolapse. Laparoscopic pelvic surgery is often used to treat pelvic floor disorders.