Bladder Prolapse

The urinary bladder, which is commonly referred to as just the bladder is one of the urinary system organs. It is a sac like organ in the pelvis and is used to store urine. When the sac is full, we feel the urge of urination and then the urine flows out of the urethra. In females, the bladder maintains it's normal position, because of the support of the front wall of the vagina. This wall loses it's elasticity and becomes flabby, due to the stretching it is subjected to, during the process of childbirth. The bladder instead of resting on the vaginal wall, descends into the vagina. This condition is referred to as the bladder prolapse which is also called a cystocele. A patient suffering from it suffers a great of discomfort and pain.

Bladder Prolapse Symptoms

Many women, suffering from it describe the situation as if, a ball is placed in the vaginal canal. In case of a mild form of bladder prolapse, the bladder may only lean on the wall of the vagina and its weight may only push the vaginal wall inwards causing a lot of difficulty. You may want to know the symptoms which are as follows:

• Discomfort or pain is experienced in the pelvic region.
• The body tissue, which is protruding from the vagina, may become tender and be a cause of bleeding.
• Difficulty at the time of urination.
• A patient may feel, after urination, that the bladder is still not empty.
• There is urine leakage during actions such as sneezing, coughing, exertion, etc which may exert stress on the bladder.
• This condition is characterized by frequent bladder infections.
• The patient suffers pain during intercourse.
• The condition is usually associated with back pain.

Causes of a Bladder Prolapse

In most women, after childbirth, the vaginal wall regains its strength over a period of time and starts supporting the bladder effectively. However, in the case of women, who have given birth to many children, the vaginal wall may not regain it's strength. These women are at the risk of suffering prolapse of the bladder.

Estrogen is a hormone responsible for the healthy vaginal muscles, tissues and in turn, strong vaginal wall. The production of estrogen stops after menopause in women. The lack of estrogen may form the cause.

The weakened state of the muscles of the pelvic floor may cause the problem. This situation may arise in a person, whose job involves lifting heavy objects, or by the pressure exerted due to straining during bowel movements. The strain caused by the coughing for a long period of time or a long-standing constipation, may also affect the strength of the pelvic muscles and may result in a bladder prolapse.

Available Treatment

The doctor may advice the patient to undergo hormone replacement therapy. It is not too difficult to guess, which hormone the doctor may prescribe. Hormone therapy for the bladder prolapse uses estrogen, in order to improve the elasticity and the tone of the vaginal wall. It also strengthens the muscles of the pelvic floor.

Before the option of surgery for bladder prolapse is considered, the doctor may prescribe pessary. It is a device to be inserted in the vaginal canal, to hold the bladder in its place and lessen it's pressure on the wall of vagina. The patient should also investigate whether the exercises known as the Kegal exercises are of any help. These exercises can help in strengthening the vaginal wall and the muscles in the pelvic area.

In case of an advanced case, your doctor may advice you to go for surgery. During the procedure, an incision is made in the wall of vagina and the bladder is properly positioned. The vaginal wall is strengthened or reinforced to avoid another repetition of the problem in the future. After the recovery time of 6 weeks, the patient may regain full functionality.

A person who has undergone the surgery must avoid lifting heavy loads and tasks that may cause bladder collapse. With advancing age, the muscles in the body gets weaker and lose their tone and strength. This is why, it is far better to take a professional advice, right at the beginning of the symptoms.