Interstitial Cystitis

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS – PAINFUL BLADDER SYNDROME

Interstitial cystitis (IC), also called bladder pain syndrome, is a chronic, or long-lasting, condition that causes painful urinary symptoms: pain, pressure, or discomfort in the suprapubic or bladder area which can cause urinary frequency or the urge to urinate that has been present for at least six weeks.

Symptoms of IC may be different from person to person. For example, some people feel mild discomfort, pressure, or tenderness in the pelvic area. Other people may have intense pain in the bladder or struggle with urinary urgency, the sudden need to urinate, or frequency, the need to urinate more often.

Health care professionals diagnose IC by ruling out other conditions with similar symptoms.

Researchers don’t know the exact cause of IC. Some researchers believe IC may result from conditions that cause inflammation in various organs and parts of the body.

Severe IC symptoms can affect your quality of life. You may feel like you can’t exercise or leave your home because you have to use the bathroom too often, or perhaps your relationship is suffering because sex is painful.

RISK FACTORS

These factors are associated with a higher risk of interstitial cystitis:

• You gender. Women are diagnosed with interstitial cystitis more often than men. Symptoms in men may mimic interstitial cystitis, but they’re more often associated with an inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis).
• Your skin and hair color. Having fair skin and red hair has been associated with a greater risk of interstitial cystitis.
• Your age. Most people with interstitial cystitis are diagnosed during their 30s or older.
• Having a chronic pain disorder. Interstitial cystitis may be associated with other chronic pain disorder, such as irritable bowel syndrome or fibromyalgia.

DIAGNOSIS

Our urologist will ask if you have a history of health problems related to IC. He will ask questions about your symptoms and other questions to help find the cause of your bladder problems.

If you are a woman who has IC symptoms, your doctor may also perform a pelvic exam. During the pelvic exam, he will check your pelvic floor muscles to see if any of your painful symptoms are related to spasm in your pelvic floor muscles.

Doctors diagnose IC based on:

• Pain in or near the bladder, usually with urinary frequency and urgency
• The absence of other diseases and conditions that could cause similar symptoms, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder cancer, endometriosis in women, or prostatitis—infection or inflammation of the prostate—in men.

There is no definitive test to prove interstitial cystitis but tests typically include:

• Medical history and bladder diary. Your doctor will ask you to describe your symptoms and may ask you to keep a bladder diary, recording the volume of fluids you drink and the volume of urine you pass.
• Pelvic exam. During a pelvic exam, your doctor examines your external genitals, vagina and cervix and feels your abdomen to assess your internal pelvic organs. Your doctor may also examine your anus and rectum.
• Urinalysis and urine culture. At the doctor’s office, you may be given a cup to take into the bathroom. A health care professional will give you instructions for collecting urine in the cup. White and red blood cells and bacteria in the urine may indicate a UTI, which can be treated with an antibiotic.
• Cystoscopy. Doctors may use cystoscopy to look inside the urethra and bladder. Doctors use a cystoscope, a tubelike instrument, to look for bladder ulcers, cancer, swelling, redness, and signs of infection.

INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS TREATMENT

Painful bladder syndrome is a relatively common problem, and though there is no known cure, the symptoms can be treated to provide sufferers with relief.