This chronic bladder condition causes pain in the bladder and pelvic region. The severity of this pain can range widely between patients. Interstitial cystitis (IC) is part of a spectrum of bladder problems that are known as painful bladder syndrome. Patients might have more than one of the bladder problems that fall into this category.
In interstitial cystitis, the signals from the bladder to the brain get confused. Patients feel the need to urinate more often and with a smaller volume of urine than most people. This condition is most common in women, but men can suffer from it as well.
The symptoms of this condition can vary depending on if the patient has other pelvic floor and bladder-related issues or not. Some people experience the discomfort of IC on a daily basis, while other people do not suffer from consistent discomfort related to this condition. The degree of reported pain related to this condition can also vary significantly between patients. The most common symptoms related to IC are:
The signs and symptoms of this condition can mimic the symptoms of a bladder infection. This can make it hard to get a clear diagnosis of this condition for some patients.
The precise cause of IC is not known at this time. It is thought that many different factors usually contribute to these cases. Many patients have a defect in the protective lining of the bladder that might be the reason for their symptoms. Many other patients have also experienced a leak in the bladder walls that can allow other body substances or wastes to affect bladder health. Some researchers also believe that this bladder condition can be related to heredity, autoimmune problems, or a history of infection or allergies.
The risk factors for this condition are:
Diagnosis of this condition is often made by taking a full medical history of the patient and asking them to keep a bladder diary for about a week. A doctor will also usually test the urine to rule out a bladder infection. Pelvic exams are typically also done to assess the tone and health of the pelvic floor and to look for things like tumours or other abnormalities.
Cystoscopy can also be done by inserting a tiny camera into the bladder to look at the condition of the tissue inside the organ. The doctor doing this procedure will usually also fill the bladder with saline solution to see how the bladder handles being stretched.
Biopsies can be taken under anaesthesia to see if there is bladder cancer involved in the symptoms that a patient is displaying. Potassium sensitivity testing can also be done to see if water or water infused with potassium chloride causes bladder pain. If the potassium solution causes bladder pain, this can indicate IC. People with healthy bladders will not be able to tell the difference between the two substances.
This condition can be impossible to prevent. However, if you have been diagnosed with IC, you might be able to prevent flares by maintaining an IC-friendly diet and cutting out foods or liquids that seem to cause symptoms. Some people also benefit from pelvic floor therapy to normalise the signals between the pelvic region and the brain and to help alleviate pain in this part of the body.
Treatment of IC usually involves a variety of different treatment modalities. Sometimes it can take a while to find a solution that works for each patient. NSAIDs can be taken to control pain in the bladder, and some patients also benefit from taking daily antihistamines to reduce the frequency of urination and bladder pain.
Tricyclic antidepressants can also sometimes greatly improve bladder pain and IC symptoms. Other people will get relief from their symptoms through treatment with Elmiron, which can be injected into the bladder along with a numbing agent. This drug can help restore the tissue in the bladder that has been damaged by infection processes and other autoimmune problems.
In some cases, treatment with a TENS unit can help to correct the flow of signals from the brain to the bladder. Other patients might respond to sacral nerve stimulation to help reduce urinary frequency.