We have to start by saying that pelvic floor dysfunction is the common condition that happens where you are unable to coordinate muscles and adequately relax the muscles in the pelvic floor. Therefore, it is challenging to have a bowel movement and to urinate, among other things.
For women, it means that you will have pain during sexual activities, while men can have erectile dysfunction as a result.
Keep in mind that we are talking about a group of muscles in the base of your pelvis, which is the bottom of your torso in simpler words. Therefore, pelvic floor dysfunction can cause severe problems that will affect your lifestyle.
Another important thing you should remember is that pelvis is home to the prostate or uterus, depending on gender, rectum, and bladder. Therefore, the muscles are the foundation that will support everything in place.
At the same time, these muscles will support other organs because they are wrapping next to the pelvic bone.
We have mentioned above that pelvic organs are the vagina and uterus in women, the prostate in men, the bladder, and the area of the large intestine, which is responsible for storing solid waste or rectum.
In normal conditions, you can quickly go to the bathroom without any additional problem since your body can relax and tighten muscles along the way.
It is similar to any muscular action, which means that you can compare it with tightening your core muscles or triceps when you lift something heavy.
This particular dysfunction means that the muscles are tightening instead of relaxing, which could lead to an incomplete bowel movement, leaking stool or urine, and trouble with bowel movements and releasing.
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The Main Reasons for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Even though the overall causes for this particular problem are unknown, some factors can lead to it, such as:
- Pregnancy
- Accidental injuries to the pelvic area
- The muscle overuse happens when you are pushing too hard while in the bathroom, which may lead to lousy coordination of muscles.
- Obesity
- Age issues
- Surgery
Keep in mind that pregnancy is one of the leading causes of this particular problem. Most women tend to experience pelvic floor dysfunction after giving birth.
The main reason for that is that muscles become strained afterward, especially in case of prolonged and challenging labor. You should check here to learn more about pelvic floor.
It is also a hereditary condition, which means that it runs in the family. According to researchers, there are indications that this particular problem can happen due to genetic causes and issues.
The Common Symptoms
Similarly, like any other condition, pelvic floor dysfunction comes with particular symptoms that you can see as signs that you should do something about it. We recommend you to visit your general care doctor as soon as you notice these issues:
- Frequently Urination or Defecation – If you think that you need to go to the bathroom numerous times throughout the day, and that is not something that usually happens, you should check with your physician as soon as possible.
- Pain During the Bowel Movements and Constipation – Even though numerous people across the globe suffer from constipation due to low diet and other issues, if you have long-term constipation, you should check with your doctor to see whether you have an underlying issue. Besides, if you have to push hard to pass the bowel movement and feel strains along the way, we recommend you to change position or manually eliminate the problem.
- Leaking Urine and Stool
- Lower Back Pain
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Men and Women
Generally, this particular condition causes different symptoms that are unique to women and men.
Have in mind that the common issues that happen to men are urinary dysfunction and erectile dysfunction, which means that men cannot maintain an erection during sex.
In some cases, the tension in muscles is the leading cause of ED, but that may not be the case. Check out this link: https://www.wikihow.fitness/Do-Pelvic-Floor-Exercises to understand how to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
On the other hand, this particular problem can affect the women’s reproductive system and health, especially the vagina and uterus.
The common symptoms include pain during sexual activities and organ prolapse.
This particular issue could lead to cystitis in case you do not treat it properly, which is why you should check with your doctor as soon as you notice any symptoms we have mentioned above.
