There are several factors that can increase your risk of a prolapse of the uterus (womb). These include:
- your age, as prolapse is more common as you get older
- childbirth, particularly if you had a long or difficult labour or gave birth to multiple babies or to a large baby
- changes caused by the menopause, such as weakening of tissue and low levels of the hormone oestrogen
- being overweight or obese, which creates extra pressure in the pelvic area
- previous pelvic surgery, such as hysterectomy or bladder repair
- heavy lifting and manual work
- long-term coughing, for example, if you smoke
- long-term constipation due to the excessive straining when going to the toilet
Conditions
There are some conditions where the tissues in your body are naturally weak and this can make a prolapse more likely. These include:
- joint hypermobility syndrome, where your joints are very loose, which can be painful and cause a number of other symptoms, such as fatigue and digestion problems
- Marfan syndrome, which is a condition that affects the blood vessels, eyes and skeleton
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a condition that causes the skin to stretch and bruise easily
