Interstitial cystitis (IC) causes discomfort or pain in the bladder and a need to urinate frequently and urgently. It is far more common in women than in men.
Symptoms vary
- Some people have pain without urgency or frequency.
- Others have urgency and frequency without pain.
- Women's symptoms often worsen during their periods, and sex may be painful.
Cause and diagnosis
The cause is unknown. There is no single test for IC; doctors often run tests to rule out other causes of the symptoms.
Treatment
There is no cure, but treatments help most people feel better:
- distending (inflating) the bladder;
- bathing the inside of the bladder with a drug solution;
- oral medicines;
- electrical nerve stimulation;
- physical therapy;
- lifestyle changes and bladder training;
- in rare cases, surgery.
Sources
Based on "Interstitial Cystitis," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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