What is the Difference Between Prolapsed Bladder and Prolapsed Uterus

The key difference between prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus is that prolapsed bladder is a medical condition in which the bladder sags downward, while the prolapsed uterus is a medical condition in which the uterus sags downward.

Pelvic floor disorder is a common condition that affects both men and women of all ages equally. However, it has been reported that 23.7% of women experience some form of pelvic floor disorder, such as urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). A pelvic prolapse is the slipping down or forward of a part of the pelvic organ. Therefore, prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus are two different types of pelvic organ prolapse.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Prolapsed Bladder  
3. What is Prolapsed Uterus
4. Similarities – Prolapsed Bladder and Prolapsed Uterus
5. Prolapsed Bladder vs. Prolapsed Uterus in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Prolapsed Bladder vs Prolapsed Uterus

What is Prolapsed Bladder?

Prolapsed bladder is also known as fallen bladder or cystocele. In this condition, the supportive ligaments and muscles around the bladder and vaginal wall that hold up the bladder become stretched or weakened. This makes the bladder sag into the vagina. Approximately 50% of women have been reported to experience some degree of cystocele. The symptoms of a prolapsed bladder may include feeling something bulge through the vaginal opening, a feeling of fullness or pain in the pelvic area, frequent visits to the bathroom than usual, difficulty in fully emptying the bladder, frequent urinary tract infections, and difficulty inserting period products such as tampons and menstrual cups. Moreover, a prolapsed bladder can be caused by vaginal births, a family history, obesity, hysterectomy, and a drop in estrogen production. This condition can cause complications such as urinary retention and kidney damage.

A prolapsed bladder can be diagnosed through physical examination, urodynamic testing, and cystoscopy. Furthermore, a prolapsed bladder can be treated through maintaining a healthy weight, estrogen replacement therapy, kegel exercises, a pessary device to help hold up the bladder, and a surgery called anterior colporrhaphy.

What is Prolapsed Uterus?

A prolapsed uterus or uterine prolapse is due to the uterus sagging downward. This is a type of pelvic organ prolapse. This condition occurs when pelvic floor muscles and ligaments stretch and weaken. Due to this, pelvic floor muscles and ligaments no longer provide enough support for the uterus. Ultimately, this causes the uterus to slip down into the vagina. Prolapsed uterus most often affects women after menopause, especially women who have already had one or more vaginal deliveries.

Typical symptoms of a prolapsed bladder may include observing tissue protruding from the vagina, experiencing a sensation of heaviness in the pelvic region, feeling incomplete emptying of the bladder, experiencing urine leakage issues, difficulties with bowel movements, perceiving a sensation akin to sitting on a small ball or experiencing friction between vaginal tissue and clothing, discomfort in the lower back, and encountering concerns related to sexual activities. Moreover, this condition can be caused by vaginal delivery, age at first delivery (older age), difficulty in labor, overweight, lower estrogen levels after menopause, chronic constipation, chronic cough or bronchitis, and repeated heavy weightlifting. The complications that result from a prolapsed uterus are anterior prolapse and posterior vaginal prolapse.

A prolapsed uterus can be diagnosed through questionnaires, pelvic examinations, and urodynamic testing. Furthermore, a prolapsed uterus can be treated through self-care measures, a silicone device inserted into the vagina called a vaginal pessary, and laparoscopic surgery.

What are the Similarities Between Prolapsed Bladder and Prolapsed Uterus?

• Prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus are two different types of pelvic organ prolapse.
• Women are affected by both conditions.
• Both conditions have similar symptoms, such as feeling or seeing tissue bulge out of the vagina, feeling heaviness in the pelvic region, feeling that the bladder does not empty fully, etc.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through pelvic examination.
• They are mainly treated through self-care measurements and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Prolapsed Bladder and Prolapsed Uterus?

Prolapsed bladder is a medical condition in which the bladder sags downward, while prolapsed uterus is a medical condition in which the uterus sags downward. Thus, this is the key difference between prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus. Furthermore, a prolapsed bladder is a more common type of pelvic organ prolapse, while a prolapsed uterus is a less common type of pelvic organ prolapse.

The infographic below presents the differences between prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Prolapsed Bladder vs Prolapsed Uterus

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when one or more pelvic organs slip down from their normal positions and bulge into the vagina. Pelvic organ prolapse is not life-threatening but can cause pain and discomfort. This can include the bladder, uterus (womb), bowel, or top of the vagina. Therefore, prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus are two different types of pelvic organ prolapse. In prolapsed bladder, the bladder sags into the vagina, while in prolapsed uterus, the uterus sags into the vagina. So, this is the key difference between prolapsed bladder and prolapsed uterus.

Reference:

1. “Prolapsed Bladder Causes, Symptoms, Treatments.” WebMD.
2. “Uterine Prolapse.” – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Pessary” By Madhero88 – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Uterine Prolapse” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia