Interstitial cystitis (painful bladder syndrome) is a chronic condition causing bladder pressure, bladder pain and sometimes pelvic pain. The pain ranges from mild discomfort to severe.
Your bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine. The bladder expands until it's full and then signals your brain that it's time to urinate, communicating through the pelvic nerves. This creates the urge to urinate for most people.
Interstitial cystitis is an inflammatory disease of the bladder that can cause ulceration and bleeding of the bladder's lining and can lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder.
The symptoms of Interstitial cystitis are
- Pelvic pain,
- Frequent urination, and
- Urinary urgency.
Interstitial cystitis has a variable clinical course, meaning that symptoms can appear and disappear over time. Moreover, the intensity of symptoms varies among individuals and even within the same individual over time.
The cause of Interstitial cystitis is unknown, but abnormalities in the leakiness or structure of the lining of the bladder are believed to play a role in the development of Interstitial cystitis.
The diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis is based on the typical symptoms and the elimination of other conditions that may be responsible for the symptoms.
Treatment for Interstitial cystitis most commonly utilizes heparinoid drugs to help restore the integrity of the bladder lining along with other oral medications. Bladder distension and intravesical drug therapy are other treatments that may
