Interstitial Cystitis

 "Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a term that has been used to refer to a clinical syndrome characterized by chronic urinary urgency (feeling the need to urinate immediately) and frequency (frequent urination), usually with suprapubic (above the pubic bone) discomfort or pressure and usually relieved by urinating. The symptoms of this condition vary among individuals and may even vary with time in the same individual. The term "cystitis" refers to any inflammation of the bladder. In contrast to bacterial cystitis that results from an infection in the bladder, no infectious organism has been identified in people with interstitial cystitis."


Basically what this means is: It hurts. Sometimes debilitatingly. And yes, it sucks.


Symptoms:
1. Pain, pressure, or tenderness in the pelvic area and/or genitals.
2. Pain during sexual intercourse, or pain during ejaculation for men.
3. Chronic urinary urgency.
4. Ulcers and/or bleeding in the bladder.
5. Burning pain in urethra.


Factors that may contribute to causing IC:
1. A defect in the bladder wall that allows substances in the urine to irritate the bladder.
2. A specific type of cell that releases histamine (HISS-tuh-meen) (chemical released during an allergic reaction) and other chemicals, which lead to symptoms of IC/BPS.
3. Changes in the nerves that carry bladder sensations, making normal events, such as bladder filling, painful.
4. The body's immune system attacks the bladder.

To sum it up: No one knows exactly what causes IC, exactly how to treat it, or how to cure it. 


How do you Know if you have IC?

No single test can tell if you have IC/BPS, which can make it hard to diagnose. Your doctor will ask you lots of questions about your symptoms. Your doctor also will need to rule out other health problems that may be causing your symptoms, such as:

1. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

2. Bladder Cancer

3. Endometriosis

4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections (STD's/STI's)

5. Kidney Stones

"Some tests used to help rule out other health problems that can cause bladder pain include:

• Urine test. Your doctor will insert a catheter, which is a thin tube, to drain urine. Or you may be asked to give a urine sample using the "clean catch" method. For a clean catch, you will wash your genital area before collecting urine midstream in a sterile container. Your urine will be looked at under a microscope or sent to a lab to see if you have germs that cause UTIs or STIs.
• Cystoscopy with or without bladder distention. Your doctor may use a cystoscope, which is a thin tube with a tiny camera, to see inside the bladder. Further testing may include slowly stretching the bladder, called bladder distention, by filling it with liquid. This helps the doctor get a better look inside the bladder. The doctor can look for signs of cancer, bladder stones, or other problems. It can show whether your bladder wall is swollen, thick, or stiff and can measure how much urine the bladder can hold. It can also find bleeding or ulcers in the bladder. This test is often done as an outpatient surgery.
• Biopsy. A biopsy is when a tissue sample is removed and looked at under a microscope. Samples of the bladder and urethra may be removed during cystoscopy. A biopsy helps your doctor rule out bladder cancer.

Researchers are working on developing new tests to help diagnose IC/BPS."

People that Have been diagnosed with IC have frequently been found to also have one or more other chronic conditions such as: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Allergies (ie: cats, gluten), endometriosis, fibromyalgia, etc., etc.

"Observations from cystoscopy (visual examination of the inside of the bladder via a probe) studies have found that two patterns exist for IC, ulcerative and nonulcerative, depending upon the presence or absence of ulcerations in the bladder lining. Star-shaped ulcerations in the bladder wall are known as Hunner's ulcers. These are found in less than 10% of cases"