What are the causes of uterine prolapse?

Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Updated on September 22, 2024
00:00
00:00

There are many causes of uterine prolapse in women, for instance, the most common one occurs during pregnancy and childbirth, especially when methods such as forceps delivery are used, which may damage the pelvic floor muscles or injure the vaginal wall. This causes damage to the pelvic floor muscles, and if not properly recovered postpartum, it can lead to prolapse. Additionally, some women might suffer from conditions like chronic pharyngitis, chronic bronchitis, long-term coughing, or have liver diseases or malignant tumors leading to a significant build-up of ascites. Frequent heavy physical labor or even simple obesity can increase abdominal pressure, causing uterine prolapse.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Shen Li Wen
Obstetrics and Gynecology
47sec home-news-image

Will sexual intercourse cause bleeding in cases of uterine prolapse?

When women suffer from uterine prolapse, bleeding usually does not occur during intercourse. Bleeding only occurs in certain special circumstances, such as when a woman suffers from severe cervical erosion or acute cervical inflammation, where the cervical surface exhibits congestion and edema. Furthermore, some women with severe symptoms of uterine prolapse might have the cervix protruding outside the vaginal opening; the friction between the cervix and undergarments can lead to local ulcers, and even infections. In such cases, intercourse might cause bleeding from cervical trauma. Generally, the amount of bleeding is relatively small, which may manifest as blood streaks in vaginal discharge.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
51sec home-news-image

Does cesarean delivery easily cause uterine prolapse?

After a cesarean section, there is also a certain chance of uterine prolapse occurring. The occurrence of uterine prolapse is mainly related to the number of childbirths, the size of the fetus during childbirth, and factors such as whether there were difficulties during delivery or the use of vaginal delivery assistance. Cesarean section can to some extent reduce the incidence of uterine prolapse. Cesarean delivery can improve or avoid conditions such as uterine prolapse and bladder protrusion, and other pelvic organ prolapse diseases. However, this practice is not advocated and should only be performed in necessary cases. Natural childbirth is still recommended as the best method. If pelvic floor dysfunction occurs, repair can be conducted after childbirth.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Jian Wei
Obstetrics and Gynecology
32sec home-news-image

Can a belly band be used for uterine prolapse?

For patients with uterine prolapse, the initial treatment adopted is pelvic floor exercises. The use of abdominal binders is less common clinically, as abdominal binders can only tighten the lower abdomen and have no significant effect on uterine prolapse. If the patient's symptoms of uterine prolapse are severe, it is recommended that the patient seeks medical evaluation at a local hospital. If necessary, surgical repair treatment may be required.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Gao Tian
General Surgery
46sec home-news-image

How is a uterine prolapse surgery performed?

Regarding how to perform surgery for uterine prolapse, first, we must define what uterine prolapse is. It mainly refers to the descent from the normal position through the vagina, with the external cervix reaching below the level of the ischial spines, or even completely protruding outside the vaginal opening, which is called uterine prolapse. Therefore, preoperative assessments need to be conducted before surgery to check for inflammation and other methods. Then, there are two types of treatments: surgical and non-surgical. Non-surgical treatment mainly includes pelvic floor muscle exercises and physical therapy such as placing a uterine pessary. Surgical treatment involves surgical intervention based on the location of the prolapse.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
47sec home-news-image

How long after natural childbirth is it easy for uterine prolapse to occur?

In clinical practice, it is common to see cases of uterine prolapse after natural childbirth. This is mainly because during pregnancy, the uterus is prone to various downward pressures. If the body has some imperfections in function, this can lead to uterine prolapse. After childbirth, some women may experience uterine prolapse as soon as one month, or even ten days or eight days postpartum. However, due to the increasing awareness and importance placed on postnatal confinement after natural childbirth, the incidence of uterine prolapse is decreasing. It is advised that women should rest during confinement and avoid heavy physical labor.