5 Risk Factors for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Every Woman Should Know

There are certain things we take for granted in life, and assuming that your pelvic organs are all in their original positions might be one of them.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for millions of women thanks to pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which affects 3%-11% of women. With POP, certain organs can lose their support and migrate downward, causing a cascade of issues ranging from incontinence to urinary tract infections, and more.

Given how prevalent pelvic organ prolapse is among women, Dr. Ulas Bozdogan and our team at Advanced Endometriosis Center thought it would be a good idea to review some key points about this condition, starting with risk factors.

Following, we examine the top five risk factors for POP, as well as solutions for this common female health issue.

Pelvic organ prolapse at a glance

Your pelvic organs rely on a strong band of tissues that creates a sort of hammock to hold your organs in place. If tissues in your pelvic floor weaken, organs can shift out of place, often migrating downward into your vagina. Some examples of POP include:

• Cystocele — dropped bladder, which is the most common type of POP
• Urethrocele — your urethra drops
• Rectocele — your rectum bulges into your vagina
• Uterine prolapse — your uterus descends
• Enterocele — your small intestine bulges into your vagina
• Vaginal vault — the top of your vagina collapses down into your vaginal canal

With minor prolapse, you may not feel any side effects, but as POP progresses, and it often does, you may run into issues with function and other complications.

Key risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse

Now let’s look at the five risk factors that place women at risk for pelvic organ prolapse:

1. Age

With age, all of your body’s tissues can weaken, including your pelvic floor.

2. Pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnancy and childbirth can place a good deal of pressure on your pelvic floor, and things may not bounce back completely in terms of support and strength.

3. Menopause

Each year in the United States, about two million women enter menopause, which kicks off a wide range of changes in the female body. The sudden drop in estrogen hormones can very much affect vaginal tissues, as well as your pelvic floor, and rob them of their previous strength.

4. Obesity

When you carry excess pounds, you place far more constant pressure on your pelvic floor. If you consider that more than 40% of adults in the United States have obesity, including 11.5% of women with severe obesity, you can see that this risk factor is a major one.

5. Chronic conditions, like coughing and constipation

If you have a chronic health condition that leads to constant coughing or ongoing constipation, these conditions can stress your pelvic floor and place you at much higher risk for POP.

There are solutions for POP

As you can see, several risk factors are well outside your control, meaning POP can develop regardless of the preventive steps you take. That said, it’s important to mitigate the risks you can, such as weight and chronic health issues.

Should you still develop POP and its symptoms, we typically start conservatively with:

• Pelvis floor exercises (Kegels) to re-establish support
• Vaginal pessary — a removable support you insert into your vagina

If these steps fail to relieve your POP symptoms, it might be time to discuss surgical intervention. The reality is that American women have a 13% lifetime risk of undergoing surgery for POP, usually when they’re much older.

While surgery might not sound all that appealing, the good news is that Dr. Bozdogan has a great deal of experience with these types of gynecologic surgeries, and he uses the most minimally invasive techniques available. This means your recovery and risks are greatly reduced while the techniques remain as effective as ever.

If you want to learn more about POP and your treatment options, contact us at one of our conveniently located offices in New York City or Paramus, New Jersey, to schedule a consultation.