WLM
| Wyoming Woman
COULD YOUR PELVIC ORGANS
Let you down?
S
ir Isaac Newton first described
the Universal Law of Gravitation
in 1687 when the apple fell on
his head. It has since been more
simply described by the old saying, “What
goes up must come down.” Many of us
experienced this truth with the fall of
the stock market in 2008. While falling
stocks may be considered normal, it is
not normal for your pelvic organs to fall.
Nevertheless, many women today suffer
from pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which
includes the herniation of these and other
pelvic organs.
The female pelvic organs consist of the
bladder, uterus, vagina, urethra and
rectum. The bony pelvis is shaped like
a bowl without a bottom and is covered
by muscle and connective tissue called
fascia. These pelvic organs are placed
within this connective tissue covering and
therefore are potential weak points in the
pelvic floor. These are the usual locations
for problems to develop. Age, hormone
changes, vaginal delivery and gravity all
contribute to gradually weaken the pelvic
floor. Eventually, these organs can “fall
down” or drop downward.
Many women may actually have prolapse
of pelvic organs and not have symptoms.
This may be recognized on their annual
gynecology exam an