{"id":5133,"date":"2014-06-26T12:22:27","date_gmt":"2014-06-26T04:22:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=5133"},"modified":"2020-08-27T09:05:40","modified_gmt":"2020-08-27T07:05:40","slug":"pelvic-floor-disorders-need-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/pelvic-floor-disorders-need-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelvic Floor Disorders: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;\"><em>This article was medically fact-checked by <a href=\"#drscroll\">Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr. Shree Datta<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pelvic floor disorders can occur when the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/pelvic-floor\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pelvic floor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is weakened by carrying excess weight from pregnancy or obesity, damaged during childbirth, or affected by medical conditions such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/diabetes-in-women\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">diabetes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Parkinson\u2019s disease, or stroke. Also as we age and go through menopause the hormonal changes result in loss of muscle tone which also affects the pelvic floor strength.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The three most common pelvic floor disorders are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/types-of-incontinence-in-women\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Urinary incontinence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 Urinary incontinence doesn\u2019t just include bladder leaks (involuntary leakage of urine), but also excessive urinary frequency, getting up in the night to go, and frequent urgency.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/digestive-diseases\/bowel-control-problems-fecal-incontinence\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fecal incontinence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 also known as bowel control problems, is the accidental passing of solid or liquid stool from the rectum.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/urinary-incontinence-oab\/pelvic-organ-prolapse\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pelvic Organ Prolapse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 is when one or more of the pelvic organs (e.g. vagina, bladder, rectum, or uterus) bulge into or even outside the vaginal canal or anus.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How Do I Know If I Have A Weak Pelvic Floor?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a number of signs of a weak pelvic floor. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leaks when you <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/leaks-when-i-cough\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cough, laugh or sneeze<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not being able to always reach the bathroom on time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling pressure or a bulge in your pelvis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduction in sexual satisfaction or even absence of orgasm.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Who Can I Talk To About Pelvic Floor Disorders?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are worried that you are suffering from any symptoms of a weak pelvic floor or a pelvic floor disorder, we urge you to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/talking-to-your-doctor-about-bladder-problems\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">talk to your doctor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Many people don\u2019t feel comfortable talking about pelvic floor disorders; in the case of urinary incontinence, the average woman waits up to 8 years before she tells anyone about her leaking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But pelvic floor disorders are very common and not something to be embarrassed about. Your health care professional will see many patients suffering from the same issue on a daily basis. And most importantly these disorders can be successfully treated, particularly with early intervention.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Treatment Options Are Available For Pelvic Floor Disorders?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have been diagnosed with a pelvic floor disorder, your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/talking-to-your-doctor-about-bladder-problems\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doctor <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">may offer a variety of different treatments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many providers will recommend managing your weight through healthy lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. Extra weight can put pressure on the pelvic floor, potentially causing damage over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One treatment is bladder retraining to allow for better control over your urinary habits. If constipation is an issue for you, treating it with supplements or by managing diet and medications helps to relieve unnecessary strain on the pelvic floor from pushing. The same goes for smoking. As this habit can cause a chronic cough that puts excessive strain on your pelvic floor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people experiencing urinary incontinence, may be advised to keep a diary of fluid intake and outflow, urine infection screening, as well as undergoing urodynamic testing to gauge the urethra\u2019s hold and release abilities. In some cases, your provider may perform a cystoscopy by inserting a small camera into the bladder through the urethra to check for any abnormalities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For others, especially in the case of pelvic organ prolapse, surgery may be necessary. But for urinary and fecal incontinence, treatment may include medications or simple exercises for the pelvic floor commonly called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/kegels-for-beginners\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kegel exercises<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are simple contract and release exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. For most pelvic floor disorders, if caught early, Kegel exercises can completely resolve or at least greatly improve the symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your doctor can help you to locate the correct muscles to exercise. Exercise aids such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/laselle\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">weighted Kegel exercisers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> add resistance to your exercise, allowing you to strengthen your pelvic muscles more effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"drscroll\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the following video, Intimina Medical Advisory Board Member Dr. Laurie Bailey Birkholz discusses how you can tell if you have a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/5reasons-kegels-now\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">weakened pelvic floor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and ways you can both prevent and treat pelvic floor disorders. While Kegel exercises won\u2019t always improve symptoms, they can keep them from getting worse. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preventative care is crucial!<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"drstamp\" style=\"margin-bottom: 10px; background-color: #fff5f7; padding: 20px 20px 5px 20px;\">\n<h3 style=\"padding-bottom: 10px;\">Facts checked by:<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"color: #ed008c;\"><strong>Dr. Shree Datta<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-28100\" style=\"padding-top: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/3LQ6bY-L_400x400.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Shree Datta\" width=\"110\" height=\"96\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 14px;\">Dr. Shree Datta is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist in London, specialising in women&#8217;s health including all menstrual problems such as fibroids and endometriosis. Dr. Shree is a keen advocate for patient choice, having written numerous articles and books to promote patient and clinician information. Her vision resonates with INTIMINA, with the common goals of demystifying periods and delivering the best possible care to her patients<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themedicalchambers.com\/find-a-clinician\/ms-shree-datta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Medical<\/a><\/strong> | <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.linkedin.com\/in\/shree-datta-10320327\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/strong> | <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/drshreedatta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Twitter<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 20px;\">Written by:<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article was medically fact-checked by Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr. Shree Datta. Pelvic floor disorders can occur when the pelvic floor is weakened by carrying excess weight from pregnancy&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":17503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[131,145],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is pelvic floor disorder? How can it be treated?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pelvic floor disorders can include urinary or fecal incontinence and pelvic prolapse. 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