{"id":1690,"date":"2022-08-31T08:24:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T08:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/?p=1690"},"modified":"2022-08-31T08:24:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T08:24:23","slug":"what-is-pelvic-congestion-syndrome-pcs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/blog\/what-is-pelvic-congestion-syndrome-pcs\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (PCS)?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">PCS or pelvic congestion syndrome is a medical condition described as chronic occurring in the pelvic region when varicose or enlarged veins start forming below the abdomen. This condition causes chronic, dull pains, and almost in 30% of cases where women are experiencing pain in their pelvis, the doctors diagnose the PCS syndrome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When choosing a <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/gynecologist-bradenton-florida\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gynecologist in Bradenton, Florida<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, be mindful of the range of services they offer because it is of the utmost importance for you to get the best possible support and medical attention regarding your reproductive health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>So What Does the Pelvic Congestion Syndrome Look Like?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you might know, veins are blood vessels in the body responsible for collecting blood poor with oxygen and returning it to the heart. Veins can be found everywhere in the body, including the low abdominal region. For some women, the veins in their pelvic area stop working correctly, and the blood starts to accumulate in the veins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After blood builds up in a particular area, the veins become large and change their form due to the extensive amount of blood within. What happens is that the backward flow of blood creates a blood pool in the pelvic area, which leads to the appearance of a specific type of veins called varicose veins, which tend to be painful and which are a sign that you might be suffering from a pelvic congestion syndrome.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Causes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it comes to the causes of the PCS syndrome, scientists and doctors are still trying to pinpoint the exact reasons why PCS occurs. Some of the reasons which can be found in today\u2019s literature are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Previous pregnancy where the veins have already been enlarged due to the pregnancy, in support of the increase in blood flow. There is also a possibility that this can cause permanently enlarged veins, i.e., pelvic varicose veins.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hormones can be the cause of PCS as well because estrogen, amongst other hormones, makes the veins dilate and weakens the blood vessel walls.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1692 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It.jpg\" alt=\"Young Woman Suffering From Menstrual Cramps at Home\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/What-Are-the-PCS-Symptoms-and-Who-Can-Suffer-From-It.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Are the PCS Symptoms and Who Can Suffer From It?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All women in their birth-giving age can suffer from pelvic varicose veins and PCS generally. The fact that you have already been pregnant and given birth and that someone in your family already suffers from it puts you at higher risk. Also, experts suspect that having a retroverted uterus, as well as polycystic ovaries, and a heavier lower body physique can put a person in a risky category.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It has been proven through different studies that the potential of getting PCS during menopause is smaller because the levels of estrogen in women drop after a certain age.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As far as the symptoms of pelvic congestion syndrome go, here are some of the most frequent ones:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dull pain lasting more than six months<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sharp pain<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain on the inside, on the left part<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain worsens during the evening time<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">More pain after changing positions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additional pain during or after sexual intercourse (deep dyspareunia)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Intensified pain after standing or walking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain during and before menstrual periods<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Abnormal bleeding during cycles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Backache<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Urges for urination\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Augmented veins on the backside, thighs, and the vulva\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Depression<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Exhaustion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Strange vaginal discharge<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Irritable bowel (diarrhea and periods of constipation)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Tenderness in the abdomen\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pain in the hips\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Diagnostics<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is essential to mention that it is a complicated task to diagnose PCS because pain in the pelvis is very common, and many different factors can cause it, such as ovarian and uterus issues, urinary tract problems, gastrointestinal system, issues with muscles, and bones, chronic pain and mental health issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To be able to diagnose pelvic congestion syndrome, doctors frequently have to carry out multiple procedures to eliminate any other possible conditions before diagnosing PCS. Some of the procedures which are used are pelvic ultrasound, laparoscopy, CT and MRI scan, and a venogram (using x-rays to check the pelvic veins).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The pelvic ultrasound is usually the most preferred option because it is possible to detect the varicose veins and also monitor the blood flow. Some other tests that are done are the urine test (to check the urinary system), a blood test (STIs and anemia detection, etc.), Doppler ultrasound (blood flow check), and alike.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Pelvic Congestion Syndrome Treatment\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As the causes for PCS are not entirely defined, the pelvic congestion syndrome treatment options are primarily aimed at relieving symptoms and reducing pains because there is no definite cure for the condition. Your chosen healthcare provider will create a treatment plan for you based on the symptoms you are suffering from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To relieve pain and help the patients are much as possible, specific options have been successfully explored and very efficient in the past, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chronic pain medications\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/endometriosis.org\/treatments\/gnrh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gonadotropin-releasing hormone drugs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (to stop the function of the ovaries)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hormone progestin drugs (to relieve pain)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Surgical methods to block off enlarged veins\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Surgical removal of damaged veins\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Surgical removal of uterus or ovaries\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The most successful PCS treatment currently is pelvic vein embolization or PVE. During this procedure, the medical professionals block off varicose veins suspected to be causing the pain. The success rate has been high, and there is a substantial improvement in symptoms for people who decided to undergo this procedure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1693 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment-.jpg\" alt=\"Young Woman Patient With a Senior Gynecologist During the Consultation in the Gynecological Office\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment--200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment--400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment--600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment--800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/08\/Pelvic-Congestion-Syndrome-Treatment-.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Anything Else?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Below we are bringing you some additional information that you might find helpful when it comes to battling a condition whose main symptom is most often immense pain:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pelvic congestion most often is not a medical urgency, but you should plan to consult your chosen healthcare provider.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This condition does not affect your life expectancy, but it can affect the quality of your life.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Suffering from chronic pain, extensive pain during menstrual cycles, and sexual intercourse might lead to depression, anxiety, and an overall decrease in physical activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">PCS can vary in symptoms, and it is very individual for each patient, but it is essential to be mindful of the symptoms and ask for medical support on time.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A timely intervention might spare you a lot of additional pain and discomfort, so try and seek as much support and help as you can from the medical team you selected to care for your reproductive health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>We Are at Your Disposal!<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Suffering through enormous amounts of pain due to issues with your pelvic health can be exhausting and stressful. Our professionals are continuously being trained and additionally educated on women\u2019s reproductive health to help our patients as much as possible in struggling with conditions such as pelvic congestion syndrome.\u00a0<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Women\u2019s Care of Bradenton<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has created a safe place for patients to schedule consultations and procedures, and we have an expert team of doctors and nurses who will support you through the process of healing your pelvic health. Contact us every weekday, and schedule a consultation as soon as you experience symptoms. We are here to help!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PCS or pelvic congestion syndrome is a medical condition described as chronic occurring in the pelvic region when varicose or enlarged veins start forming below the abdomen. This condition causes chronic, dull pains, and almost in 30% of cases where women are experiencing pain in their pelvis, the doctors diagnose the PCS syndrome.\u00a0 When choosing<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[412,413],"tags":[416,414,415,418,417],"class_list":["post-1690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pelvic-congestion-syndrome","category-pelvic-ultrasound","tag-pcs-syndrome","tag-pelvic-congestion-syndrome","tag-pelvic-congestion-syndrome-treatment","tag-pelvic-ultrasound","tag-pelvic-varicose"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1690\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toplinemd.com\/womens-care-of-bradenton\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}