Prolapsed Bladder
Medical Author:
George Lazarou, MD, FACOG
Coauthor:
Buck Christensen
Medical Editor:
Bradley Fields Schwartz, DO, FACS
Medical Editor:
Mary L Windle, PharmD
Medical Editor:
Martin I Resnick, MD
Prolapsed Bladder OverviewThe bladder is a hollow organ in the pelvis that stores urine. The pressure created when the bladder fills with urine is what causes the urge to urinate. During urination, the urine travels from the bladder and out the body through the urethra. In women, the front wall of the vagina supports the bladder. This wall can weaken or loosen with age. Significant bodily stress such as childbirth can also damage this part of the vaginal wall. If it deteriorates enough, the bladder can prolapse, meaning it is no longer supported and descends into the vagina. This maytrigger problems such as urinary difficulties, discomfort, and stress incontinence (urine leakage caused by sneezing, coughing, exertion, etc).
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Prolapsed Bladder
What is incontinence?
Incontinence is a common condition that means the involuntary loss of urine. This condition can occur for a number of reasons but is most commonly associated with the loss of urine when coughing, sneezing, or exercising or by the inability to hold urine when the urge to urinate occurs. Both men and women are affected by incontinence, most typically as they get older. Several types and causes of incontinence exist, and many can be treated to either eliminate or significantly reduce the problem.
Who is affected by incontinence?
Incontinence is sometimes called a silent epidemic because people struggling with the condition often do not talk about it to others or their physicians. Researchers estimate that 13 million or more people in the United States alone are affected by incontinence.
- One in 10 people 65 years of age or older are estimated to experience bladder control problems.
- Approximat...
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Urethral Prolapse »
Urethral prolapse is a circular protrusion of the distal urethra through the external meatus.
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