Pelvic prolapse, when weakness or damage to a woman's pelvic floor muscles allows her internal organs to fall outside the body, affects more than one in five of all U.S. women and becomes more common as women age. Now, a new Saint Louis University study has found that women with a family member who has had a hernia or prolapse are more likely to develop prolapse themselves. "If your father has had a hernia and your mother has prolapse, you already have a risk of prolapse and should look at changing the things you can control to reduce your risk," said study author Mary McLennan. "Other major risk factors within a woman's control are having children vaginally, being overweight, chronically straining from constipation or doing a lot of lifting."
McLennan said that women with a family history of hernia or prolapse were at 1.4 times the risk of prolapse than those without a close relative with the problem. Women who suffer prolapse feel pressure or a heaviness when they stand. They may have problems emptying their bladder or the sensation of something dangling between their legs. "It's one of those problems you don't hear a lot about, and you should because it's treatable," McLennan says.
Some women have surgery to resuspend and reposition the uterus, rectum or bladder to keep it inside the body. A more conservative treatment, McLennan says, is placing a plastic device inside the vagina to hold everything up.
"You can't change your family history," McLennan said. "But there are a number of things you can change to minimize your risk of developing prolapse. Women with a family history should not take a job that requires them to do heavy lifting. They should watch their weight. They should avoid becoming constipated so they don't strain during bowel movements."
McLennan found that the risk of prolapse in women with a family history dramatically increases among those who delivered three or more children vaginally. "I think people need to be aware of their family history as it may affect how a young woman thinks of the number of children she will have or how she will deliver them. With the increasing trend - demand for elective Cesarean section, this may have a role in the decision making process for select patients," McLennan concluded.
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Source: Saint Louis University
