A woman from China is recovering from surgery after she went to the doctor complaining that her uterus fell out of her body after an evening of dancing.
The 60-year-old woman rushed to the Maternal and Child Health Centre in Xuzhou where she told the doctor that it felt like her reproductive organ may have fallen out of her vagina.
The hysterical woman also feared that it may have been a tumor that had fallen out while she was enjoying an enthusiastic day of dancing at the local public square.
After examining the patient, Dr. Song Hongjuan of the Maternal and Child Health Centre in Xuzhou determined that the woman had suffered a uterine prolapse.
This is a condition where the uterus can move forward or into the vagina because of weak pelvic floor muscles.
The weakness is often caused by a difficult childbirth and may be more likely to occur in women that have larger sized babies.
Dr. Song Hongjuan and her team performed successful surgery on the woman and she is now recovering.
Uterine prolapse is more common than one might think. In addition to childbirth, it can be caused by repeatedly lifting heavy objects, being overweight, having a chronic cough, or simply aging.
To avoid uterine prolapse, Dr. Song Hongjuan is encouraging women to pay close attention to their bodies after pregnancy and to practice pelvic floor exercises to help strengthen the muscles after childbirth.
Symptoms of a uterine prolapse can include a heavy sensation in the pelvis, a lump or flap of tissue protruding from the vagina, frequent urination, difficulty with bowel movements, pain, or bleeding.
These symptoms should immediately be addressed by a qualified health care provider to avoid a situation like what happened to this woman.