Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffMild small bowel prolapse may produce no signs or symptoms. However, if you have significant prolapse, you might experience:
- A pulling sensation in your pelvis that eases when you lie down
- A feeling of pelvic fullness, pressure or pain
- Low back pain that eases when you lie down
- A soft bulge of tissue in your vagina
- Vaginal discomfort and painful intercourse (dyspareunia)
Many women with small bowel prolapse also have related conditions, such as:
- Posterior prolapse, also known as rectocele, when the bottom or back of the vagina bulges, often because the rectum pushes on the vaginal wall
- Anterior prolapse, also known as cystocele, when the front of the vagina is pushed down — usually by the bladder — into the vaginal canal
- Uterine prolapse, when the uterus pushes down into the vagina
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you develop signs or symptoms of prolapse that bother you.
References
- Lentz GM, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-06986-1&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-06986-1..C2009-0-48752-X--TOP. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
- Park AJ, et al. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and nonsurgical management of posterior vaginal defects. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
- Rogers RG, et al. An overview of the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, and management of pelvic organ prolapse in women. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
- Hoffman BL, et al. Williams Gynecology. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=768. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Culligan PJ. Nonsurgical management of pelvic organ prolapse. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2012;119:852.
- Hagen S, et al. Conservative management of pelvic organ prolapse. Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine. 2012;22:118.
- Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://www.danforthsobgyn.com. Accessed Oct. 31, 2012.
- Lightner DJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 15, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on