Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic

CHAPTER ONE

 PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE:

THE BASICS

"POP" stands for what? In a time of truly enlightened women it is hard to imagine that there can be a condition that is quite widespread, yet relatively unheard of. The baby boomers of today are educated, self-reliant, pro-active answer finders; when a problem of any nature arises, they keep searching until they find the answers. It is hard to believe that there is a female condition that has been on record for centuries, is quite common, causes physical discomfort, can be corrected, and yet an extremely large percentage of women aren't even aware of it.

Being told at the age of 54 that I had pelvic organ prolapse was a bit of a shock. It wasn't so much that I had concerns about having a condition that needed to be addressed; I already knew that from the symptoms I was having. It was finding out that I had a condition that I'd never heard of that rocked me. I considered myself to be a relatively intelligent, medically self-educated person; to find out that a condition existed that I had never heard of and possibly could have prevented progression of was infuriating. Living during a time when ED (erectile dysfunction, a male condition where erection of the penis is difficult or sometimes impossible to achieve) is on television commercials all the time, I found it hard to believe that nothing was being discussed about pelvic organ prolapse.

Pelvic organ prolapse has probably been around since women began having babies. Many of the factors that contribute to its occurring are factors that were as prevalent in the days of early mankind as they are now. The oldest documentation of pelvic organ prolapse goes back to Egyptian times. The word "prolapse" comes from Latin origins meaning "to fall." Hippocrates wrote about inserting a pomegranate into the vagina as a treatment for prolapse, (hmmm, fruit in the vagina, let me think about this...), and at least one of its symptoms, urinary incontinence, is commonly known. 

In general, the condition in its entirety is not discussed. This is a topic that not only needs to be brought out in the open so that women who are suffering in embarrassed silence can get treatment, but also to attempt to change the school of thought for  the younger generation. If the importance of Kegel exercises was passed on at the same time as the importance of having routine pelvic and breast exams, and if it was repeated on a regular basis to young women, it would become second nature to these young women, just like having the other exams is. Since performing Kegel strengthening exercises is not visible to the naked eye and can be performed sitting, standing, or lying down, they can be done anywhere at any time. (Standing in line at the grocery or discount store is sssoooo boring; this could give you something to focus on that would not only help keep those pelvic structures in place, but also help control urine leakage, as well as improve sensation in the lower region for more sexual sensation.See the chapter on prevention for more info.) If women in their twenties were taught a few basic, simple exercises that they could do on a daily basis to help prevent pelvic floor complications later in life, maybe the amount or degree of pelvic organ prolapse cases would decrease. If nothing else, at least the awareness of the potential for pelvic organ prolapse would help bring it onto the front page.

POP (pelvic organ prolapse) can occur when an organ in the pelvic cavity (or organs, oftentimes there are multiple organs involved) shifts in a downward direction. This shifting can make the organ or organs such as the uterus, bladder, vagina, urethra, or rectum bulge out of the normal position. Sometimes they bulge down into the vaginal canal or even beyond it. This downward displacement of organs and attached tissues is called "pelvic organ prolapse," or POP for short.

>More than 40% of women suffer from some level of incontinence.

>There are more than 300,000 surgeries for POP annually.

>Caucasian women have the highest rate of POP.

 >The number of women seeking care for POP is predicted to increase by 45% over the next few years.

>Some studies indicate that in the 55+ age category, 50% of women suffer from one or more POP problems.

> 1 in every 9 women undergoes surgery for a pelvic floor problem.

.... To read more,  you can order 

Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic by Sherrie Palm on the order page of this website, at your local brick and mortar bookstore, or on-line at your favorite virtual bookstore.

 ISBN 978-1-60693-965-9

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If you are a reviewer, contact the author for a review copy at Sherrie Palm .

About the Author:

Sherrie Palm is a writer and retired business owner. Ms. Palm is currently scheduling seminar/dialogue groups and educational lectures related to POP.

Contact Sherrie by email at: sjpalmPOP@wi.rr.com.