There are a large number of female diseases that are detected after childbirth or due to age-related changes. One of these pathologies is the elongation of the cervix. Knowing about such a disease, you can understand your condition at the first symptoms. The causes of the disease will tell you how to avoid the appearance of such a disease.
Basic information
Elongation is a pathological lengthening of the cervix. In the normal state, the neck has a length of about 3 cm. During pregnancy, it increases to 4 cm. Small anatomical deviations are possible. But when the cervix with the uterus extends beyond the vagina, it is considered a painful condition.
Reasons
Causes of cervical elongation:
difficult labor;
birth of a large baby;
large number of births;
perineal injury;
overweight;
violation of metabolic processes associated with lack of collagen;
congenital, hereditary anatomical anomalies inthe structure of internal organs;
woman lifting weights;
hard physical labor;
menopause;
surgery;
hormonal disorder
The main causes of cervical elongation are excessive loads that the muscles of the pelvis and abdominal wall receive. In a normal state, it becomes difficult for them to hold the uterus, and it sags, pulling the neck along with it.
Manifestation of disease
Cervical elongation can be detected without additional examination, ultrasound or tomography - just pass a gynecological examination.
Elongation symptoms:
unpleasant feeling of heaviness in the lower abdomen associated with a change in the position of the internal organs;
soreness during intercourse;
sometimes part of the uterus can protrude so low that it is injured when walking and bleeds;
urinary incontinence during physical exertion (sneezing), emotions (laughter);
feeling of a foreign object in the vagina, often felt during hygiene procedures
Such signs should alert a woman. In the near future, you should get advice from a gynecologist at his appointment.
Serious danger
Young girls are more likely to take care of their he alth, they understand that in order to have children, one must have good he alth. Older women, especially during menopause, do not rush to the doctor when symptoms of elongation appear, without fear for their he alth.
Cervical elongation is dangerous inany age. The normal arrangement of organs in the abdominal cavity is disturbed. There is compression in one place, stretching in another. This is a favorable condition for the formation of a hernia. Possible compression of blood vessels, nerves. It is sometimes possible to restore the normal anatomical position of the internal organs only with the help of surgical intervention.
Fear of surgery
It is the fear of the operation that stops many before visiting the doctor. But a displaced uterus leads to infertility, makes sexual life impossible. The disease leads to serious problems in the urological sphere. Chronic cystitis develops, stones form, residual urine infects all parts of the urinary system. The blood supply to all organs in the abdominal region is disturbed, soft tissue edema begins. The biggest complication is uterine prolapse in women.
Treatment
The main treatment is surgery. When uterine prolapse does not join the lengthening, only a small part of the cervix is amputated. But this option is rare. Usually, cervical elongation is a sign of prolapse of the uterus and the anterior wall of the vagina. During the operation, the elongated part of the cervix is amputated, the anatomically normal position of the uterus and vaginal walls are restored.
How exactly does the operation go with the diagnosis of uterine prolapse?
In the presence of old scars on the neck or its deformation, a partial removal is performed. With severe hypertrophy (increase), change, the neck is completely amputated. In special cases, it iscomplete removal. With any type of surgical intervention, a special plastic is performed to suture the ligaments and muscles of the pelvic floor. This will prevent further pelvic organ prolapse.
Another variant of the operation, if there is a prolapse of the uterus in women - ventrofixation. In this case, the uterus is sutured to the abdominal mesh using a special surgical mesh. No deletion.
Disadvantages of the operation can be:
difficulty bearing a child;
significant narrowing of the cervical canal
For women planning pregnancy, a special organ-preserving technique has been developed. It produces a gradual, accurate shortening of the neck, the design of a well-passable cervical canal. The ligaments are also strengthened to prevent recurrence of the disease.
Preventive measures
To prevent the appearance of an elongated cervix, certain actions must be performed. Start early, not at diagnosis.
Prevention recommendations:
normalize nutrition, provide the body with enough vitamins and minerals;
strengthen pelvic floor muscles with special exercises: fitness, swimming, Nordic walking, running are recommended;
calculate physical activity, give up strength training, weight lifting;
maintain normal body weight;
eliminate causes of constipation;
eliminate hard work;
regularly visit the gynecologist, follow the recommendationsdoctor
For prevention after childbirth, the pelvic floor muscles are strengthened by electrical stimulation, laser therapy. To train the muscles of the vagina, special simulators are used in the form of loads of various weights. They need to be kept in the vagina for a long time. In some cases, a gynecological massage with hormonal creams is prescribed.
Folk remedies
Exercises to train the muscles of the vagina, pelvic floor can be included in the complex of morning exercises since school days. A mother can teach her daughter, which used to be considered preparation for childbirth. By the way, such trained muscles are very useful in sexual life.
When sitting, squeeze your knees. You have to do it so hard that you feel tension. Exercise can be done at work, on the bus, at any opportunity. It is better to do 10 repetitions at a time so that the muscles get a load.
Then while sitting, you need to tighten the muscles of the pelvis in such a way as to raise the crotch up. Do the exercise 10 times. The blood circulation in this area will increase, the pelvic muscles will strengthen. These two exercises seem simple and easy. They are very effective when done 10 times a day for 10 repetitions.
Exercise "bicycle" helps a lot. Lying on your back, you need to twist your raised legs, simulating cycling. In this case, it is necessary to load the muscles not of the abdomen, but of the hips.
Lying on your side, put your right foot back behind the left. Lift it up without bending. Repeat 15-20 times. Then change legs. Well stimulatedstrengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, abdominal wall walking with a semi-squat, walking with raising the knees to the stomach at a right angle. It is desirable to perform these exercises constantly. After two months, they will already become a habit. If you remember their important role in maintaining he alth, then it will be difficult to quit. Warm baths with decoctions of medicinal herbs are useful - lemon balm, evening primrose, dandelion, lily root. Kegel exercises are suitable for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, although they are designed to combat hemorrhoids.
These are the basic advice of a gynecologist.
Forecast
Timely seeking medical help, following all the doctor's recommendations helps to solve the problem. Correction of an elongated cervix is a proven technique, but a lot depends on the woman herself. You need to change your lifestyle - devote more time to your he alth, exercise.
Sedentary lifestyle contributes to the stagnation of blood in the pelvic region, this negatively affects women's he alth. Be sure to rethink your daily habits. Move more, sit less.
Even if a woman no longer plans pregnancy, is in old age, elongation still requires treatment. The disease can lead to serious consequences, it should not be brought to a critical state. When the first signs appear, you should consult a gynecologist. At the initial stage, the disease is easier to treat.
Elongation (prolapse of the uterus) does not prevent pregnancy. When carrying a child, especially in the later stages, care must be taken,doctors' recommendations. The prognosis will be favorable with the joint efforts of the woman and the gynecologist.
Risk groups
A woman of any age should take care of her he alth. If ladies of respectable age understand this, then girls in adolescence do not always think about the future. The fashionable modern craze for exercising in the gym is certainly useful. But girls should be smart about strength training, remember that they are expectant mothers.
In addition to enthusiastic athletes, the risk group for cervical elongation includes women suffering from constipation and hemorrhoids. Strong stress during bowel movements negatively affects the cervix. With bronchial asthma, other pulmonary diseases, strong constant tension harms the muscles of the small pelvis.
Changes in hormonal levels that occur during menopause can cause many women's problems, including elongation. The muscles of the pelvic floor lose elasticity, strength, the cervix lengthens, there is a risk of uterine prolapse.
Women are most at risk of elongation during pregnancy. Normally, the uterus is located in the central part of the small pelvis. It is held by ligaments that are attached to the pelvic bones and the sacrum. Below support the muscles of the perineal apparatus.
During pregnancy, the uterus enlarges. If the birth is normal, then after a certain time all the organs return to their usual places. With rapid childbirth, their stimulation, ruptures, the ligaments are torn or greatly stretched. In such casesthere is a prolapse of the uterus, and with it the lengthening of the cervix.
Conclusion
Cervical elongation is common. Every third woman faces such a problem, but not everyone seeks qualified help. Such an attitude towards one's he alth cannot be justified by embarrassment. The well-being of children and families depends on the he alth of a woman. Such diseases will not go away on their own, they only intensify, become more complicated. This is dangerous elongation of the cervix. The operation is not desirable, but sometimes necessary.
Traditional methods of treatment serve as an addition to the main methods, but do not eliminate the problem. You should visit the gynecologist for preventive examinations once a year. This is not a simple rule, but a preventive measure to detect many unpleasant diseases.
