Gynecological pelvic floor, how much do you know?

The female pelvic floor is an important and complex part of the reproductive system. It bears the important functions of supporting, controlling and protecting gynecological organs. The pelvic floor plays an important role in human defecation, urination, and childbirth. If there is an abnormality, the normal function of these organs will be affected. According to statistics, 45% of married and childbearing women in my country suffer from varying degrees of pelvic floor dysfunction after giving birth. Among them, urinary incontinence has the highest incidence rate. So how much do you know about the gynecological pelvic floor? What are the gynecological pelvic floor diseases? Today, let's take everyone into the gynecological pelvic floor knowledge classroom and explore the world of "pelvic floor muscles".

1. The basic structure of the pelvic floor

The pelvic floor is mainly composed of muscles, ligaments and fascia, which play the role of closing the lower opening of the pelvis, supporting and protecting the bladder, reproductive organs and rectum. The pelvic floor structure consists of three layers from the outside to the inside: the outer layer, namely the superficial fascia and superficial muscles; the middle layer, namely the urogenital diaphragm; the inner layer, namely the pelvic diaphragm, which is the toughest layer of the pelvic floor structure.

2. Functions of the pelvic floor

Support function: The muscles and ligaments of the pelvic floor can support and fix the position of the pelvic organs to prevent organ displacement.

Control function: The contraction of the pelvic floor muscles can regulate functions such as urination, defecation and sexual intercourse.

Assisting childbirth function: The pelvic floor muscles can provide support to the fetus during pregnancy and assist in the childbirth process.

3. Common problems of gynecological pelvic floor

Pelvic organ prolapse: Pelvic organ prolapse refers to the sagging of organs such as the uterus, bladder, and rectum due to relaxation or damage of the pelvic floor muscles. Common pelvic organ prolapses include uterine prolapse, bladder prolapse, and rectal prolapse.

Stress Incontinence: Stress incontinence occurs when the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments relax, resulting in involuntary leakage of urine in response to increased abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or physical activity.

Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction: Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction includes two conditions: pelvic floor muscle weakness and pelvic floor muscle excessive tension. Pelvic floor muscle weakness may lead to problems such as urinary incontinence and constipation, while pelvic floor muscle excessive tension may lead to problems such as pelvic floor pain and sexual intercourse pain.

4. Which groups of people may have pelvic floor problems?

1. Postpartum women

2. Menopausal women

3. Women with frequent constipation

4. Women who have undergone pelvic surgery

5. People with recurrent vaginitis, recurrent urinary tract infection, etc.

5. Treatment and health care methods for pelvic floor diseases

Drug treatment: For specific pelvic floor problems, drugs can be used to control symptoms. For example, for urinary incontinence, commonly used drugs include anticholinergic drugs, such as octreotide (Oxybutynin), tolterodine (Tolterodine), etc. These drugs can reduce bladder overactivity and reduce urinary incontinence symptoms.

Physical therapy: Physical therapy includes techniques such as pelvic floor muscle massage, electrical stimulation, hot compresses and cold compresses to help relax and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Physical therapy needs to be conducted under the guidance of a professional therapist.

Surgery: For some serious pelvic floor problems, such as severe organ prolapse or severe urinary incontinence, surgical treatment may be required. The specific type and method of surgery will depend on the condition and individual circumstances.

Pelvic floor muscle exercise: Pelvic floor muscle exercise is the key to maintaining a healthy pelvic floor. Common exercise methods include levator ani exercises, bladder contraction training, and pelvic floor muscle contraction and relaxation exercises. These exercises can increase the strength and endurance of the pelvic floor muscles and improve pelvic floor function.

Control your weight properly: Obesity will increase the load on the pelvic floor, causing excessive tension or weakness in the pelvic floor muscles. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce pressure on the pelvic floor and help maintain a healthy pelvic floor.

Avoid prolonged exertion: Prolonged exertion, such as standing for a long time, lifting heavy objects, etc., will put pressure on the pelvic floor muscles, causing muscle fatigue or excessive tension, and have an adverse effect on pelvic floor health.

Balanced diet and adequate water intake: Eat a balanced diet and pay attention to adequate dietary fiber intake to prevent constipation and reduce the burden on the pelvic floor muscles. At the same time, adequate water intake helps maintain the body's water balance and maintain good urination habits.

Maintain correct posture and position: Maintain correct sitting, standing and walking postures, and avoid staying in one position for a long time. In addition, choose the right position during sexual intercourse to avoid excessive pressure on the pelvic floor muscles.

After reading this article, I believe you have a deeper understanding of female pelvic floor problems. Pelvic floor problems are not uncommon. Whether it is pelvic floor muscle relaxation during pregnancy and childbirth, or urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, sexual dysfunction, etc., they are all worthy of our attention and attention. By understanding the functions and common problems of the pelvic floor muscles, we can better prevent and deal with these problems.

If you are facing these problems, it is recommended to consult a professional doctor in time. The doctor will conduct a detailed evaluation and diagnosis and provide a personalized treatment plan to help you improve your pelvic floor function and improve your quality of life. (Gao Bianxia, ​​Department of Gynecology, Shijiazhuang Maternal and Child Health Hospital)