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Introduction
Prolapse
Prolapse is a common condition and it occurs when the structures designed to keep organs in place weaken or stretch, causing them literally to 'prolapse'. There are many causes for prolapse, but the two main causes: gravity and childbirth can affect us all, so it's important that you keep an eye out for symptoms. A prolapse can be fairly mild but it can also become serious, and once the damage is done, it's virtually impossible to undo it.
What is a prolapse?
Prolapse literally means 'to fall' or 'slip out of
place', and the term can relate to different organs
in the body. It is possible to have a rectal (prolapse
of the rectum), bladder, vaginal or womb (uterine)
prolapse and some of these can occur at the same time.
Womb prolapse
The womb is held in place by the pelvic floor muscles
and supporting ligaments. When these muscles start
to weaken and/or the supporting ligaments lose their
elasticity, the womb starts to drop down into the
vagina. It is also called a 'dropped' womb and refers
to the sagging of the womb into the vagina or even
out of the body.
A prolapse of the womb can also be common around the menopause because the muscle support often becomes thinner when the hormone levels - in particular oestrogen - are reduced.
Vaginal Prolapse
The front and back walls of the vagina can become
weakened, and it begins to move downwards, often turning
itself inside out. Normally, as the womb prolapses,
the vagina will also drop. Unfortunately the biggest
risk of vaginal prolapse is after a hysterectomy (where
the womb is removed), sometimes years later, because
the vagina may have become weakened during surgery.
Prolapse of the bladder (Cystocele)
The bladder normally sits directly above the vagina
but if there any weakness at the top of the vagina,
this can cause the bladder to drop down, where it
begins to bulge into the vagina itself. This is called
a cystocele. This type of prolapse can lead to recurrent
urinary tract infections in some women, while others
will experience stress incontinence. Again, some women
will experience no symptoms at all.
Prolapse of the urethra (Urethrocele)
This type of prolapse differs from that of a cystocele
in that only the urethra, the tube that leads from
the bladder to the outside of the body, drops down.
In this case, the bladder itself normally remains
in position. A urethrocele can cause stress incontinence,
particularly if you are suffering from both a cystocele
and urethrocele. In this condition, there is an increased
risk of urinary tract infections and pain on intercourse.
Prolapse of the rectum (Rectocele)
If the lower part of the vagina, which is normally
tight, is weakened, then the rectum (which is the
last part of the colon before the anus) can bulge
into the vagina. Some women can remain unaware that
they are suffering from a prolapsed rectum, while
others will experience severe constipation, as stool
becomes 'trapped' in the pouch formed by the bulge,
making it difficult to defecate.
What symptoms could you experience?
The symptoms for all of the different types of prolapse
can be similar. Some women experience few if any symptoms,
but others can find a prolapse debilitating. Some
of the most common symptoms include:
— Lower back pain
— A dragging sensation or feeling of 'something
falling out'
— Stress incontinence (where small amounts of
urine are passed while sneezing, coughing or exercise)
— Constipation
— Difficult or painful sex
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is a common condition, and it
is caused by a variety of factors, including most
of those that can lead to prolapse. Many women first
experience stress incontinence during pregnancy, when
the weight of the baby presses down on the pelvic
floor, weakening bladder control. Following the birth,
the pelvic floor muscles can be weakened so that normal
control is not resumed for several months (or even
years), unless exercises are regularly practised.
Common symptoms of stress incontinence include leaking when you cough, laugh or sneeze, leaking when you are exercising or lifting, having little warning of the need to pass water, which means that you may not reach the toilet in time, and occasionally an increased urgency or need to pass water. Some women may find that they dribble urine without even realising it.
Dealing with stress incontinence
Stress incontinence can occur simply because your
pelvic floor muscles have become weakened (through
pregnancy and childbirth or during the menopause,
for example), and this weakening can result in a lack
of control over the bladder. You can also suffer from
stress incontinence because of a prolapse. If leaking
is your most troublesome symptom and other aspects
of the prolapse are not causing you problems, then
it is worth exploring other options (such as cones,
pessaries, pelvic floor exercises) to help the leakage.
Vaginal cones
These cones are literally small weights that are used
to help strengthen the pelvic floor and vaginal muscles.
When these muscles are weak, prolapse is more common,
as is stress incontinence. A small plastic vaginal
cone is inserted into the vagina is the same way as
you would insert a tampon. The cone is hollow and
it unscrews so that weights can be placed inside.
In the same way that weights at the gym strengthen muscles in your body, these cones work on the muscles of the pelvic area. The effects build up over time, and as your pelvic muscles become stronger, you can increase the weight of the cone.
The cone is first inserted with a small weight inside, and you will be instructed to keep it in place for about 15 minutes a day, while standing upright. You can expect to see a difference between eight and 12 weeks. Once you have achieved the desired result (normally gauged by an improvement in the prolapse itself, your symptoms and any stress incontinence), you can maintain the muscle tone by using the cones two or three times a week.
Some women find the cones easier to use than practising pelvic floor exercises (see page 00), partly because they are fairly effortless, but also, and more importantly, because they automatically work the right muscles in the pelvic area. Pelvic floor exercises are only effective if they are done properly.
Note: the vaginal cones should not be used if you are pregnant, during your period, or if you are suffering from a urinary tract infection or thrush.
If you would like to buy some cones you can get them through Prolapse options at The Natural Health Practice
What are your choices?
Dealing with a prolapse requires a completely different
approach to the majority of conditions outlined in
these sections, largely because it is a structural
problem rather than one of hormone imbalance or nutritional
deficiency. However, many of the recommendations below
are aimed at strengthening the ligaments and tendons
in the pelvic area, ensuring their integrity and elasticity.
Many of the treatments are aimed at tonifying the
uterus and other organs in the area. Depending on
the severity of your condition, however, you may need
to undertake these recommendations alongside conventional
treatment.
Supplements
The supplements recommended below have been studied
in clinical trials and have been found to be effective
in connection with prolapse. For best results you
should take them over a period of three months, at
the end of which you should be reassessed in order
to monitor improvements and changes and then adjust
the supplement programme according to your new condition.
Multivitamin and Mineral
A good quality multivitamin and mineral would form
the foundation of your supplement programme to make
sure that you are getting a 'little bit of everything'.
You then add in those nutrients in slightly higher
amounts which are known to be helpful for prolapse.
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
We know that vitamin C and also bioflavonoids help
with the formation of collagen so it is important
that you take these nutrients in supplement form if
you are suffering from either prolapse or stress incontinence,
or both.
Vitamin A
This vitamin is known to help the body produce collagen,
and can also encourage the strength of your cartilage
(which is required to keep the organs and other structures
in the pelvic area in position). Make sure you get
plenty in your daily diet, and take vitamin A as a
supplement.
Manganese
This mineral is needed for healthy bones, cartilage
and skin. There is usually enough in a good multivitamin
and mineral to cover any deficiency that might be
at the root of your pelvic weakness.
Herbs (see caution below)
In herbal medicine uterine tonics are used for prolapse
of the womb. These tonics include dong quai, (Angelica
sinensis), true unicorn root (Aletris farinosa), red
raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus), Ladies' mantle (Alchemilla
vulgaris), false unicorn root (Chamaelirium luteum),
horsetail (Equisetum arvense).
You should not take any of the above herbs if you are taking, The Pill, Fertillity drugs, HRT or any other hormonal treatment or other medication unless they are recommended by a registered, experienced practitioner.
For more information on the herbs which are helpful for vaginal Prolapse see the rest of the Prolapse e-book at The Natural Health Practice, which you can download.
Tests are extremely useful, in that they can tell you what deficiencies you have at the moment and then for you to know what supplements would be useful to take to correct those deficiencies. You would then be re-tested after three to four months to monitor your progress and to adjust the supplement programme accordingly.
Mineral Analysis Test
with Supplement and Nutritional Assessment Programme)
This test measures the deficiency and excess levels
of 7 different minerals and 5 heavy toxic metals that
may be present in your body.
Online Personalised
Supplement Assessment Programme
The analysis of this comprehensive questionnaire will
give you a three monthly supplement programme to help
balance any vitamin and mineral deficiencies you may
have.
After three months you would then have a re-test in order to monitor your progress and adjust your supplement programme according to your new condition.
If you need help in obtaining any of the supplements, herbs or tests mentioned above, click, Prolapse options at The Natural Health Practice. They can supply all of them for you online or if you prefer to talk to somebody first you can also order by mail order on the telephone. The products supplied by this company are always of the highest quality.
Plan of Action
Nutrition
Ensure you are getting the right nutrition:
Follow dietary recommendations outlined on the Foundation
of Health page.
And for more information on the special dietary recommendation
for prolapse, see the rest of the chapter on Prolapse e-book at The Natural Health Practice which you can download.
The supplement programme below should be taken for at least three months in order to achieve best results
Your supplement plan
— A good multivitamin and mineral tablet
— Vitamin C with bioflavonoids (1000mg twice
a day)
— Vitamin A (as beta-carotene at 25,000iu per
day)
— Proanthocyanidins (50 mg per day)
— Manganese (5mg per day)
— Cranberry supplement (only needed for stress
incontinence)
At the end of three months you should reassess your condition and adjust your supplement programme accordingly.
The tests below have been specially selected to be the most helpful if you are concerned about prolapse.
Mineral Analysis Test with Supplement and Nutritional Assessment Programme
Online Personalised
Supplement Assessment Programme
After three months you would then have a re-test in order to monitor your progress and adjust your supplement programme according to your new condition.
If you need help in obtaining any of the supplements, herbs or tests mentioned above, click, Prolapse options at The Natural Health Practice. They can supply all of them for you online or if you prefer to talk to somebody first you can also order by mail order on the telephone. The products supplied by this company are always of the highest quality.
The section above forms part of a larger complete e-book on Prolapse. In the rest of the e-book you will learn what the medical approaches to prolapse are and how to combine them with the natural approach. This is called Integrated Medicine and is the way that healthier of the future is moving towards. You will also learn what medical tests will give you an accurate diagnosis of your condition and if you really need to have them. The medical treatments for prolapse are then examined which can include looking at either drugs or surgery. Each treatment is then discussed and the pros and cons of the options explained. The Integrated Approach to prolapse is considered in some detail so that if appropriate you can know how to combine the best of both conventional and natural medicine.
At the end of the e-book is a practical step by step summary of what you can do to help yourself.
If you would like to read the rest of this ebook
click, Prolapse e-book at The Natural Health Practice and you will be given details of how you can download
the whole e-book.
| Introduction | What are your choices? | Plan of Action |
The contents of this site are for information only and are intended to assist readers in identifying symptoms and conditions they may be experiencing. This site is not intended to be a substitute for taking proper medical advice and should not be relied upon in this way. Always consult a qualified doctor or health practitioner, especially if you are pregnant, taking the pill or on any medication. Your situation will need to be looked at individually and you should not attempt to self treat. The author and publisher cannot accept responsibility for illness arising out of the failure to seek medical advice from a doctor.
The views expressed by third parties placing material on these pages are not representative of the views of the author or publisher. The Author and Publisher cannot monitor the content not produced by us and has not reviewed all the third party material published on this site and the Author and Publisher accept no liability whatsoever in relation to the content of third party material placed on these pages.
