If your doctor has diagnosed the cause of your sexual pain as uterine prolapse, don’t despair. You were smart to report it to your doctor, and now you can get some help and visit a urology center. As many as one in five women past menopause have this condition, but most are too embarrassed to tell their doctors.
The treatment for severe cases is usually a hysterectomy to remove the uterus. However, if you have a milder case, your doctor may prescribe hormone replacement therapy to increase the blood flow to your vaginal tissues and strengthen the tissues that hold your uterus. If you catch uterine prolapse in the early stages, it’s much easier to combat, and many of the treatments can be done at home. The same measures work for both treatment and prevention.
- Keep your weight where it should be. Obesity increases your risk of uterine prolapse. Embark on a healthy weight loss plan if you need to. If you’re struggling with binge-eating, Rosewood Ranch is an inpatient behavioral facility which treats adults with the most severe eating disorders.
- Get fit. Along with maintaining a healthy weight, exercise regularly to keep all your muscles strong. Walking is the perfect exercise if you’re out of shape. Just 30 minutes each day, or even three times a week to start, will do wonders for your overall fitness.
- Eat for good health. Good nutrition affects every part of your body, including your reproductive organs, so be sure you get all the nutrients your body needs. It’s especially important to get lots of fiber in your diet so you can avoid constipation, a condition that aggravates uterine prolapse. Plenty of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grain products in your diet should do the trick.
- Kick it with Kegels. According to a reputable vascular physician, Kegel exercises, also known as pelvic floor exercises, increase the tone of the muscles that hold your uterus in place. To feel the muscles you want to exercise, try stopping your urine stream and then restarting it. These are the muscles you want to use. Once you learn how these muscles feel, contract and relax them for a count of six. Do this several times a day for at least two to three months to get results. This exercise will also help treat and prevent incontinence.
- Put in a pessary. This device, prescribed by your doctor, is inserted like a diaphragm into your vagina. It can help hold your uterus in place so it doesn’t slip farther down.
Over time, the physical strains of childbirth, chronic coughing, and chronic constipation can cause uterine prolapse. So can a job where you do a lot of heavy lifting. But weight problems and lack of exercise are the biggest risk factors. Whatever the cause, catch and treat uterine prolapse as early as you can. Overcoming this problem can improve not only your personal comfort and health, but your sexual enjoyment as well.
Keep the home fires burning
If you have no symptoms other than genital pain, your problem could be a simple one. Dyspareunia is the term for pain during intercourse. If such pain affects one half of a couple, it affects you both, and it may take working together to solve your common problem. Just understanding the situation and some of its causes can go a long way toward finding a solution.
Factors that affect some people as they age can play a part in making sexual intimacy painful. Obesity, joint pain, disease, prescribed medications, and scars from previous surgeries, such as hysterectomies, can all take their toll. You may need to experiment to find the most comfortable sexual positions, even if they’re not what you’re used to.
If it has been a long time since you’ve had intercourse, it may be uncomfortable because of physical changes to your body during your abstinence. This is known as the Widow’s or Widower’s Syndrome. A man may experience impotence and a woman may have vaginal dryness and pain. A patient and cooperative partner can help you reverse this situation. Your doctor or a sex therapist can help, too. Ask for help if you need it.
A woman’s sexual pain may be caused by a condition called vaginismus, in which the vaginal muscles contract involuntarily to prevent intercourse. This can result from previous sexual pain, psychological trauma, or a long period of abstinence. Your doctor or sex therapist can give you counseling and muscle retraining exercises to help you relax.
Menopause is a factor that can affect a woman’s sexual comfort in a big way. As a woman ages, her vaginal walls become thinner and dryer, and natural lubrication may not be what it once was. If you’ve gone through “the change,” adding a vaginal lubricant may be just what’s needed to enhance your comfort and make you feel romantic again. A number of different brands are available today, and some can even be used several hours in advance so you don’t have to interrupt the flow of passion.
If you are using a condom, diaphragm, lubricant, or contraceptive foam or gel, one or both of you could be having an allergic reaction to the product. If you have an allergy to lanolin, check for it in the list of ingredients on the label. Try substituting other products to see if an allergy is the problem.
If you don’t see any physical reason for your painful intercourse, you may want to look in a different direction. Your brain is the organ that has the greatest influence over your sex life. You can have very real sexual pain without any physical reason.
Depression and lack of self-confidence can chip away at your ability to enjoy sex. So can worry, fatigue, or feelings of anger toward your partner. Spend some time looking at the good things in your life, and get counseling for depression if you think you might need it. Sometimes, just making a list of your problems and blessings can help you get a better perspective.
Spending time with your spouse and doing enjoyable things together are important ways to build your romantic relationship. A happy sex life has as much to do with your life outside the bedroom as inside it. Find ways to appreciate and show love for your spouse, and you may find that romance and comfortable, enjoyable sex are your reward.
