If urinary leakage is the number 1 symptom of an abnormally relaxed perineum, there are other clues that should not be ignored!
According to a recent survey conducted by the Censuswide Institute for the Intimina brand among 1,015 French women aged 25 to 75), approximately 65% of women in France are unable to locate their perineum.
The pelvic floor (a set of muscles, tissues and ligaments located in the area of the small pelvis) is nevertheless essential for the proper functioning of the body: it is he who supports the viscera – including the bladder, the uterus and rectum. This “hammock” (schematically stretched between the coccyx and the pubis) also plays a role in urination and defecation.
A relaxed perineum may be responsible for organ descent
Problem: many of our daily habits contribute to weakening our perineum. Impact sports, first of all: running, jumping rope, zumba… are particularly bad for this set of muscles, which must withstand repeated shocks. Holding back from going to the toilet, afterwards: this bad habit increases the weight that the perineum has to support all day long (because the bladder and/or the rectum are full). Wearing high heels, finally: because of the posture that one must adopt to keep the balance (the buttocks backwards), the perineum is stretched to the maximum… and is damaged little by little.
In addition, pregnancy is also a phenomenon that affects the health of the perineum: for many months, the pelvic floor must support a constantly increasing weight, which leads to its relaxation – like an overstretched rubber band. Hence the need for perineal rehabilitation after childbirth!
Why (re)muscle your perineum? An abnormally relaxed pelvic floor is a problem that must be treated as soon as possible. Indeed: there is a risk of genital prolapse, which is more commonly called “organ descent”. Clearly: the viscera normally supported by the perineum (uterus, bladder, rectum) “slide” towards the vagina, and this can cause severe pain, difficulty urinating, digestive disorders…
Sources:
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2/6 –
You have to pee all the time
You very often want to go to the little corner during the day; this craving cannot wait, so much so that you look around for the nearest toilet every time you arrive somewhere! You also sometimes wake up during the night to pee. This is urinary incontinence by urgency: here again, a relaxed perineum is the number 1 cause.
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3/6 –
you are constipated
The perineum also plays a role in the process of defecation: also, when it is insufficiently toned, constipation may appear (the stools have trouble coming out in the toilet, you have to push abnormally hard) or, on the contrary , anal incontinence (you have trouble holding back your stool).
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4/6 –
you have gas
Doctors talk about gas incontinence: in short, you can’t hold back your farts… and it can be embarrassing in public! This anorectal problem is partially linked to a weakness of the perineum (the muscle lacks strength): it can also be a question of an attack on the anal sphincter and a dysfunction of the rectal proprioception.
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5/6 –
You no longer have sexual feelings
You no longer have (or you have less) sensations during sex? It may be a perineal problem. Indeed, the pelvic floor plays a role in sexual pleasure, in particular because it tightens the outer third of the vagina. An abnormally relaxed perineum can also result in vaginal farting and/or a lack of vaginal lubrication.
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6/6 –
You have pain in the lower abdomen
Do you have pelvic pain (in the lower abdomen), especially when you are standing and/or at the end of the day? Do you feel like a “lump” in your vagina area? Caution: these may be the first signs of a prolapse – make an appointment with your gynecologist or midwife quickly!