In medical terms, the pelvic floor refers to a group of muscles in the pelvic area. These muscles provide support to the organs in the pelvic region, including the bladder, uterus (women), prostate (men), and rectum.

What is pelvic floor dysfunction?
This is a medical condition that is used to refer to a situation when you are unable to control the functioning of the pelvic floor. It means you fail to control the bowel movement. People suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction use these muscles to contract rather than to relax. It is for this reason that they cannot have a bowel movement. They often have an incomplete one.

What causes pelvic floor dysfunction?
In most of the cases, the exact reason behind this dysfunction is unknown. It is often believed that this condition is caused due to traumatic injuries to the pelvic area. This can happen after an accident and due to complications aroused after vaginal childbirth.

What are the symptoms?
There are several symptoms that are linked to this medical condition. You must visit your doctor if you come across the following signs:

The feel of having several bowel movements within a short period of time.
If you feel that you cannot complete a bowel movement.
When there is constipation pain linked with bowel movements.
A frequent urge to urinate.
Painful urination.
Pain in lower back.
Continuous pain in pelvic region, genitals, or rectum.
Pain during intercourse in women
How is pelvic floor dysfunction diagnosed?
It may be diagnosed through a physical examination by the doctor. You will ask several questions to know the case history and find out the cause. You may also be asked to take pelvic muscle control test by placing surface electrodes on the perineum or sacrum. A small device called a perineometer is also used for the same.

What are the best ways for treating pelvic floor dysfunction?
It can be treated without surgery. There are several techniques. Some of these are as follows:

Biofeedback: It is done with the help of a physical therapist.He uses special sensors to watch and monitor the muscles.
Medication: A low-dose muscle relaxant is prescribed to treat the same.
Relaxation techniques: Your therapist may ask you to take up techniques for relaxation such as warm baths, yoga, and exercises.
Surgery: If your physician finds out that the dysfunction is caused by a rectal prolapse or rectocele, he or she will take up surgery.
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction results in Urinary Dysfunction. Urinary incontinence is the unintentional passing of urine. It's a common problem thought to affect millions of people. There are several types of urinary incontinence, including:

Stress Incontinence   when urine leaks out at times when your bladder is under pressure; for example, when you cough or laugh
Urge Incontinence   when urine leaks as you feel a sudden, intense urge to pass urine, or soon afterwards
Overflow Incontinence (chronic urinary retention)   when you're unable to fully empty your bladder, which causes frequent leaking
Total Incontinence   when your bladder can't store any urine at all, which causes you to pass urine constantly or have frequent leaking
It's also possible to have a mixture of both stress and urge urinary incontinence.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is a condition in which structures such as the uterus, rectum, bladder, urethra, small bowel, or the vagina itself may begin to prolapse, or fall, out of their normal positions. Without medical treatment or surgery, these structures may eventually fall farther into the vagina or even through the vaginal opening if their supports weaken enough.


Pelvic Floor Dysfunction - What is the Best Way to Treat it?

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a common condition where cells of the lining of the womb (the endometrium) are found elsewhere, usually in the pelvis and around the womb, ovaries and fallopian tubes. It mainly affects women during their reproductive years. Endometriosis is not an infection and it is not contagious.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of endometriosis are pelvic pain, pain during or after sex and painful, sometimes heavy periods. It may cause problems with getting pregnant. It can affect many areas of a woman s life including her general physical health, emotional wellbeing and daily routine. Many women may have no symptoms. It is a long-term condition. Some women with endometriosis become pregnant easily while others have difficulty getting pregnant.

What causes endometriosis?

Endometriosis occurs when the cells of the lining of the womb are found in other parts of the body, usually the pelvis. Each month this tissue outside the womb thickens and breaks down and bleeds in the same way as the lining of the womb. This internal bleeding into the pelvis, unlike a period, has no way of leaving the body. This causes inflammation, pain and damage to the reproductive organs. Less commonly, endometriosis may occur on the bowel and bladder, or deep within the muscle wall of the uterus (adenomyosis). It can also rarely be found in other parts of the body.

The symptoms of endometriosis are common and could be caused by a number of other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

There is no simple test for endometriosis.
Your gynaecologist may examine your pelvic area, this will include an internal examination.
You may be offered a scan. This can identify whether there is an endometriosis cyst in the ovaries. A normal scan does not rule out endometriosis.
For most women, having a laparoscopy is the only way to confirm endometriosis; because of this, it is often referred to as the  gold standard  test. This allows the gynaecologist to see the pelvic organs clearly and look for any endometriosis.
Several factors may influence your decision about treatment. These include:

How you feel about your situation
Your age
Whether your main symptom is pain or problems getting pregnant
What treatment can I get?

The options for treatment may be:

Pain relief

Hormone treatments: There is a range of hormone treatments to stop or reduce ovulation (the release of an egg) to allow the endometriosis to shrink or disappear. The hormonal methods below are contraceptives and will prevent you from becoming pregnant:

The combined oral contraceptive (COC) pill or patch. These contain the hormones estrogen and progestogen and work by preventing ovulation and can make your periods lighter, shorter and less painful.
The intrauterine system (IUS): this is a small T-shaped device which releases the hormone progestogen. This helps to reduce the pain and makes periods lighter. Some women get no periods at all.
The hormonal methods below are non-contraceptive, so contraception will be needed if you do not want to become pregnant:
Use of hormonal progestogens or testosterone derivatives
GnRH agonists are drugs that prevent estrogen being produced by the ovaries and cause a temporary and reversible menopause.
Some women find that recreational exercise improves their wellbeing, which may help to improve some symptoms of endometriosis.

Surgery: Surgery can be used to remove areas of endometriosis. There are different types of surgery, depending on where the endometriosis is and how extensive it is. How successful the surgery is can vary and you may need further surgery.

Laparoscopic surgery: The gynaecologist removes patches of endometriosis by destroying them or cutting them out.
Laparotomy: If the endometriosis is severe and extensive, you may be offered a laparotomy. This is major surgery which involves a cut in the abdomen, usually in the bikini line.
Hysterectomy: Some women have surgery to remove their womb (a hysterectomy) with or without the ovaries. Depending upon your own situation, your doctor should discuss hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with you if you have your ovaries removed.
What if I am having difficulty getting pregnant?

Getting pregnant can be a problem for some women with endometriosis. Your doctor should provide you with full information about your options such as assisted conception. If you become pregnant, endometriosis is unlikely to put your pregnancy at risk.

Endometriosis - Signs & Symptoms That Indicate It!

The tube transporting urine from the bladder out of the body is known as the urethra. Under normal circumstances, this tube is wide enough for urine to flow freely but in some cases, one or more section can get narrowed and restrict the flow of urine. This may be diagnosed as a urethral stricture. This length of this stricture can range from 1 cm to affecting the entire length of the urethra.

This is caused by scar tissue or inflammation of tissue in the urethra. While this is a common condition that affects men, it is rarely seen to affect women. An enlarged prostate, exposure to STDs like gonorrhoea or chlamydia, suffering from an infection that causes urethral inflammation and irritation or having had a catheter recently inserted can increase the risk of suffering from a urethral stricture. An injury or tumour located near the urethra can also cause this condition. Hence, preventing this condition is not always a possibility.

Common symptoms to look out for include:

Inability to urinate
Reduction in the flow of urine
Increased urge to urinate frequently
Pain while urinating
Urinary incontinence
Abdominal pain
Swelling of the penis
Discharge from the urethra
Blood in the urine or semen
Dark urine
The bladder feeling gull even after urinating
A physical examination and tests that measure the rate of urine flow and chemical composition of the urine can help a doctor determine a diagnosis of urethral strictures. You may also need to undergo STD tests and a cystoscopy. An X-ray may also help locate the stricture. The treatment for this condition depends on the severity of the symptoms.

Non-surgical treatment for this condition involves using a dilator to widen the urethra. However, there is no guarantee the blockage will not recur at a later date. Alternatively, a permanent catheter may also be inserted.

There are two forms of surgical treatment for a urethral stricture.

Open urethroplasty: This involves removing the infected or scar tissue and restructuring the urethra. The results of this procedure depend on the size of the blockage. It is usually advised only in cases of long, severe strictures.
Urine flow diversion: In the case of a severe blockage and damage to the bladder, the doctor may advise rerouting the flow of urine to an abdominal opening. This process involves connecting the ureters to an incision in the abdomen with the help of part of the intestines.

Stricture Urethra - Signs You Are Suffering From It!

Endometriosis is a condition where the endometrial tissue lining the womb, grows outside the urethral lining. This can cause severe pelvic pain and a host of other complications, if it is not treated on time. 

Here is everything you need to know about this ailment.


- symptoms: owing to the location of this tissue and its painful protrusion through the lining or walls of the womb, one of the earliest and most painful symptoms experienced may include severe cramps and pain during the menstrual cycle. Also, the patient will experience pain in the lower abdomen region about a week before the onset of the cycle. Heavy bleeding as well as infertility may be experienced in such cases too. Sexual intercourse will also give rise to pain in the region, while discomfort will be felt during the bowel movements. Pain in the lower back will also be experienced throughout the menstruation period. 


- stages: there are several stages of this disease and its progression, each of which will require a different form of treatment. These four stages usually depend on the location, size, depth and number of the endometrial implants within the body of the patient.


- minimal stages: in this stage, usually there will be small wounds and lesions as well as shallow implants on the ovaries. Inflammation in the pelvic cavity can also be felt in this stage.


- mild stage: in this stage, there will also be light lesions and shallow implants which will spread over the ovaries as well as the pelvic lining.


- moderate stage: in this stage, the implants will dig deeper into the ovaries and the pelvic lining, which will result in the growth of even more lesions.


- severe stage: as the name suggests, in this stage the patient will experience deep implants along with lesions in the bowels and the fallopian tubes.


- treatment: there are varied forms of this treatment including pain relief medication for minimal to mild stage patients. Also, hormonal therapy with the help of supplements may be prescribed. Hormonal contraceptives may also be used. In such cases, medication like danazol, medroxyprogesterone, 

Gonadotripin releasing hormone agonists, and other such elements may be prescribed. Conservative surgery and radical surgery may follow, depending on the severity of the condition. Laparoscopy is the preferred form of treatment in such cases. A hysterectomy can be conducted as a final resort where the surgeon will remove the cervix as well as the uterus of the patient. This will make pregnancy impossible for the patient, thereafter. To stem estrogen production, the ovaries will also be removed. 


One must discuss all risks and complications before going in for a certain form of treatment for this ailment.

Symptoms, Stages and Treatment of Endometriosis

Infections of the vagina, cervix and uterus

Vaginal problems are very common and a little awareness can enable women to take care of this delicate region of their body. Vaginal infections are the most irritable and hurtful and lack of education on the same makes it difficult to prevent them; from burning and itching to unpleasant odour, most women have faced these infections at some point of their lives.

Here are few points you must know about to stay clear of these infections.

1. Vaginal infections: vagina contains bacteria and yeast which are good and maintain the health of the area. However, things like change in levels of hormones, poor hygiene, pregnancy, sexual contact, antibiotics, disturb the balance of health, thus causing infections. Most common types of vaginal infections are: bacterial infections, yeast infections, trichomonas vaginitis. While there exist over-the-counter cure for these infections, it is best to visit your gynecologist and get the infections diagnosed &amp; treated.

2. Cervix inflammation: infection or inflammation in the cervix is called cervicitis. It is pretty common and is influenced by a number of factors like allergies, infections or irritations - it is important to know the cause of cervicitis because in the long run, it could pose a problem with fertility. Symptoms of cervicitis include foul smelling vaginal discharge, pain during passing urine, pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding like bleeding after sexual contact or between periods. Cervicitis is treated with the help of anti-fungal medications, antibiotics and anti-viral medications depending upon the evaluation of the underlying cause.

3. Pelvic and uterine infection: infection in the uterus and pelvis is also a matter which should not be left untreated. It can present with pain lower abdomen, pain during intercourse, frequent and painful urination. The infection can be caused by various organisms which can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease which in turn can spread to the uterus, ovaries and the fallopian tubes.

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Infections Of The Vagina, Cervix and Uterus: Facts You Must Know.

Roti vs. Rice- What should you have your meals with?

The nutritional conflict between rice and roti is age-old, as primary staples of every Indian cuisine.  White rice and wheat chapattis are both infused with considerable amounts of protein, calorie, fat as well as fibre. This overlap makes it tougher to choose just one as an accompaniment with your meals.
The health-conscious can take a sigh of relief with this list of effective benefits of the two. Let’s pit them against each other!

#1: If you opt for a lighter meal…Choose rice!
Boiled white rice is easier to chew and digest as it is low in fibres. For those with issues of diarrhoea, colitis, an upset stomach or morning sickness, rice is a favourable choice. If you are suffering from chronic gastrointestinal distress, rice is recommended for you.
Tip- You can consume a bowl of steamed rice with sautéed vegetables for a wholesome meal!

#2: If you are looking for muscle growth…Choose roti!
Rotis is the best food accompaniment for vegan and vegetarian bodybuilders. At home, you can mix variants of whole grains to harness the benefits of calcium and other minerals. Wheat chapattis made of whole grain consist of complex carbohydrates that boost your energy.
Tip- For reducing your portions, have two servings of roti (without ghee) with a large bowl of home-cooked yellow dal.

#3: If you have a heart condition… Choose rice!
For you to keep your heart healthy, the consumption of rice is vital. Brown as well as white rice is full of fibres and high in magnesium, niacin, phosphorus that can prevent heart problems.  Rice helps you in lowering bad cholesterol levels.
Tip- Substitute your regular white rice in the khichdi or biryani recipe with brown rice. (Contains fibrous bran and germ layer)

#4: If you want to feel fuller… Choose roti!
For weight watchers, who want the feeling of satiety for longer period should include rotis in their meal. Wheat rotis take longer to digest which helps in maintaining blood sugar levels. This quality also makes it a good alternative for diabetic individuals. Wheat rotis are nutritious and contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9 that help in keeping you strong.
Tip- While kneading the wheat dough for the rotis, you can add soya powder to increase its protein content.
To escape the dilemma of choosing between these two healthy and tasty staple sides, try switching to whole-wheat rotis and brown rice. Savour both, guilt-free!

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 Roti vs. Rice- What should you have your meals with?

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