A pelvic organ prolapse itself usually doesn't smell, but an odor can develop due to related issues like infections (bacterial vaginosis, UTI) or if a pessary isn't cleaned properly, causing increased discharge or ulceration, which might have a foul smell, especially with rectal prolapse where stool can be involved. A foul odor, along with discharge or irritation, signals a complication needing medical attention, not the prolapse itself.
You can usually tell which structure has prolapsed with a brief self exam. If you put your finger inside of your vagina and it feels squishy in the front, it's a cystocele. Squishy in the back is a rectocele.
Severe prolapses also cause a feeling of fullness in the abdomen (belly) or a bulge that may go away when lying down. Other symptoms are problems emptying the bladder or having bowel movements, pelvic pain, abdominal discomfort, urgent or painful urination, and problems during sex.
It is possible to experience a range of symptoms in this area. Because symptoms are usually localised to the pelvic area, nausea is not a symptom associated with pelvic floor dysfunction.
Symptoms of vaginal prolapse include the feeling of vaginal pressure or fullness — like you're sitting on a small ball — and the sensation that something has fallen out of your vagina. A cystocele or rectocele usually occurs with vaginal prolapse. Mild cases of vaginal prolapse do not require treatment.
According to the Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse, over 50% of women over 50 have some form of this disorder. The most common disorders that pelvic organ prolapse is mistakenly diagnosed as include urinary and fecal incontinence, constipation, and irritable bowel disease.
Signs of pelvic organ prolapse
The discharge usually worsens when standing up for prolonged periods and improves after lying down.
Does rectocele cause odor? It can.
Consider surgery if the prolapse is causing pain, if you are having problems with your bladder and bowels, or if the prolapse is making it hard for you to do activities you enjoy. An organ can prolapse again after surgery.
It may not cause symptoms, but if you do have symptoms they can include: a feeling of heaviness, discomfort or pressure in your lower tummy or vagina.
Yes, emotions, especially stress, anxiety, and trauma, can become physically "stored" as chronic tension and tightness in the pelvic floor muscles, impacting their function and leading to pain or dysfunction because the pelvis is central to the body's "fight or flight" response and vulnerability. These muscles hold onto emotional stress, linking mental states like fear or depression with physical symptoms in the pelvic region, back, or genitals. Releasing this tension often involves addressing both the physical tightness and the underlying emotional experiences through practices like mindful movement and therapy.
Some studies show that while pessaries and surgery both improve symptoms for advanced-stage pelvic organ prolapse, surgery may provide more long-term satisfaction.
Speak to your doctor if:
You think you might have a prolapse or you have symptoms of a prolapse such as: a feeling of a bulge or something coming down the vagina. a feeling of a bulge or something coming out the vagina, which sometimes needs pushed back up (you may be able to see this with a mirror)
It has improved my quality of life, allowing me to live more actively and with greater peace of mind. By inserting the ring into the vagina, it helps lift and hold the prolapsed organs in their correct position. This support can significantly reduce the symptoms of prolapse, such as pressure, bulging and discomfort.
Frequent or urgent urination. Feeling like you need to urinate even though you finished urinating. Seeing a bulge out of your vagina. Feeling like something is falling out of your vagina.
Sweating also can cause a vaginal odor. Bacterial vaginosis is an overgrowth of bacteria typically present in the vagina. It's a common vaginal condition that can cause vaginal odor. Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection, also can lead to vaginal odor.
Women may accidentally leak urine or bowel contents (stool), or their vagina may make noises during exercise or sex. These symptoms and others can be isolating. Some women don't seek treatment until they start having serious problems with bladder, bowel, or sexual function.
Gynecologists tend to perform posterior wall repairs more commonly than colorectal surgeons because they also address patients with vaginal symptoms in addition to those with defecatory dysfunction. Overall, surgical correction success rates for rectocele correction are quite high when using a vaginal approach.
You may experience pain in your vagina, back or tummy (abdomen). Sometimes, you may also notice a discharge from your vagina, which may be blood-stained or smelly. Sex may be uncomfortable or painful. Symptoms are usually worse after long periods of standing and they improve after lying down.
Gripping the base of protruded lump at introitus (Grip test) by thumb and fingers identifies second or third degree uterine pro- lapse. Visible stress incontinence is identified on cough- ing.
This is called a prolapsed uterus. Uterine prolapse occurs when pelvic floor muscles and ligaments stretch and weaken until they no longer provide enough support for the uterus. As a result, the uterus slips down into or protrudes out of the vagina.
Your provider will feel for any bulges caused by your uterus dropping down into your vaginal canal. They may also ask you to cough, strain or act like you're holding in your pee. This can help them see how weak your muscles are.
In most cases, your provider can feel a prolapse by inserting a gloved finger in your vagina or upon a visual inspection of the area. In some cases, you may not have any symptoms and your provider discovers a prolapse during a pelvic exam.
These prolapsed masses may present with bleeding, and the physical examination of a mass in the upper vagina may result in an initial clinical diagnosis of cervical tumor [2]. Prolapsed uterine tumors can mimic cervical cancer both clinically and radiologically [1].