Pelvic congestion syndrome, also often known as pelvic venous insufficiency, affects the veins within the lower pelvis and groin area. Similar to varicose veins within the legs, the veins change into enlarged, as blood backs up in them. Chronic pelvic pain is certainly one of the many symptoms you may suffer. While individuals describe the pain as dull, it typically gets worse if you sit or stand.
Although chronic pelvic pain accounts for 10 to fifteen percent of all doctor visits which can be gynecological in nature, pelvic congestion syndrome often is missed as a cause. Yet the condition is debilitating for some women. Due to this fact, for those who proceed to go looking for relief from pain and other related symptoms, it could help to learn more about this condition, which is common amongst women.
Array of Symptoms
Together with pain below the belly button, additional symptoms may include lower back pain, aching legs, painful menstrual periods, pain when peeing, and pain during and after sexual activity.
Many ladies with pelvic congestion syndrome have varicose veins on the legs and buttock region or across the vaginal area. Abnormal menstrual bleeding, vaginal swelling, general lethargy, and depression are other symptoms that may occur.
Complicated Diagnosis
Because pelvic congestion syndrome is difficult to diagnose, a health care provider normally begins by ruling out other conditions that stands out as the reason behind your symptoms. Fibroids, endometriosis, and uterine prolapse are disorders in women that mimic the identical symptoms.
Your doctor may order an ultrasound to detect abnormally swollen veins and assess the blood flow within the pelvic region. Other imaging studies that may result in a diagnosis include MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT scan, or venogram. These tests help discover varicose veins, supporting the notion that venous pressure stands out as the underlying reason behind pain.
Risk Factor Awareness
As a result of the structure of their pelvic anatomy, pelvic congestion syndrome is a condition more common in women than in men. Risk aspects amongst women include pregnancy, obesity, constipation, or a sedentary lifestyle. Endogenous estrogen levels are one other risk factor.
Common Causes
Changes within the pelvic region while pregnant can result in varicosities, which damage the valves that keep blood flowing in a single direction. When the valves malfunction, a backflow of blood within the vein causes it to change into engorged. The swollen vein then compresses the nerves around it, causing pain.
Fluid weight gain while pregnant can even damage vein valves, which allows blood backflow to build up within the veins. Except for the structural changes within the veins that occur if you end up pregnant, increased levels of estrogen can contribute to vein problems. High estrogen levels weaken the partitions of blood vessels, increasing your risk of developing varicose veins.
Pelvic congestion syndrome can develop following an injury to the pelvis. Physical trauma, akin to being hit within the pelvis, suffering a broken pelvic bone, or having surgery to repair a fracture, weakens ligaments and muscle structures, which may affect the veins in the realm.
Individualized Treatment
While pelvic congestion syndrome has a couple of cause, doctors generally use medications to treat pelvic pain related to the condition. Nevertheless, the condition could be hard to treat, as a medicine regimen that effectively relieves symptoms for one person may not work for one more.
Medications doctors prescribe to treat symptoms of this chronic medical condition include antidepressants, painkillers, and hormone medications. In some cases, especially if symptoms fail to enhance, doctors often recommend a minimally-invasive procedure to dam off the varicose veins causing the pain.
Vein embolization is an efficient treatment option that may improve symptoms. Pelvic vein embolization involves threading a catheter through the neck or groin into the damaged vein within the pelvis. A metal coil is then pushed contained in the vein to dam it in order that blood not flows to the vein.
In case you are looking for treatment for chronic pelvic pain, contact the physicians of Specialists in Pain Management. We will perform the suitable procedures to accurately diagnose and treat the reason behind your pain.