Do you have a retroverted uterus? Under normal circumstances, the uterus is placed up-down inside a female body. In a woman suffering from this problem, the uterus is not properly aligned to where it should be.
It is slightly tipped forward or backwards from the ideal position, causing many complications and problems to the woman so affected.
Misalignment of the uterus might be caused due to:
- Fibroid tumors,
- Endometriosis,
- Pelvic adhesions, or
- Pregnancy. The uterus can get tilted or misplaced from its original position during childbirth, whether the child has been delivered vaginally or through a C-section.
Besides the main causes listed above, the tilt or misalignment in the uterus might be caused by certain diseases and disorders. In most females, however, the causes of a retroverted uterus remain largely unknown.
Symptoms of retroverted uterus
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The signs and symptoms associated with a tilted uterus make it easy for an experienced gynaecologist to detect the condition after a pelvic examination.
The three most common symptoms that lead to detection of this problem are:
- Pain during the periods: A misaligned uterus can cause severe pain in the pelvic region during periods or during ovulation. Some women even complain of pain in the back during their periods. Affected women might face difficulty while using tampons for menstrual protection as well, though that is not always the case.
- Pain during sexual intercourse: The neck of the uterus is known as the cervix. In most cases, a retroverted uterus is accompanied by a tilted cervix as well. In such cases, the affected female experience pain during sexual intercourse as the penis strikes the walls of the cervix. The intensity of pain can vary from mild to extremely unbearable.
- Frequent infections and incontinence: Women with a retroverted uterus have been known to be more prone to infections of the urinary tract and also urinary incontinence (also called bladder incontinence).
Complications caused by a retroverted uterus
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A retroverted uterus is not a disease or a disorder. Nor does it render the affected woman sterile. However, it certainly can and does create problems for her in many ways by affecting her sexual life and her fertility.
And that too, in more ways than one!
A woman with a tipped uterus can have problems in conceiving naturally. That problem would partly stem from the fact that sexual intercourse is a painful experience for her, instead of bringing her joy and pleasure due to which she might want to desist from having sexual contact altogether.
As if that was not enough, she might be unable to conceive even if using the IVF technique. Most experienced doctors would go for a Mock Transfer Process on a woman so affected to ensure that the embryo transferred by him into her body, later on, will be able to traverse the length of the uterus and implant itself firmly.
Taking care of yourself
Credit: GoodToKnow
If a woman does notice the presence of any of the symptoms listed above, she must visit her gynaecologist to confirm the presence of this condition. While it certainly is not a pleasant thing to know that one has been affected by it, some steps can help make life and childbearing easier.
Doctors can today recommend some simple exercises which can alleviate the pain experienced during sexual contact on this account. If exercises are not enough to take care of the problem, the doctor might need to deal with the problem physically or surgically.
Vaginal inserts can be used to lessen the discomfort or pain experienced during sexual intercourse, though some of them have been known to cause pain in the male partner due to which they are not a very popular option.
Surgical interference is the last available option, and that might be required if none of the methods of treatment listed above work.
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