Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial Cystitis is more commonly known as the “Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS)”. It is a physically debilitating condition but fortunately, it is not a life threatening one. This is found to occur more frequently in women between the ages of 30 and 40 than in men. The exact cause of Interstitial Cystitis is still unknown and many theories that have been propounded as to its exact causes are still under aggressive research. Some of these are:

(i) The presence of some unknown substance in the urine of the patients that damages and prevents the regeneration of the epithelial cells which line the walls of the bladder.

(ii) The presence of Huner’s Ulcers (patches of broken skin) on the bladder walls in a large of number of patients with this condition.

(iii) The hyper-activation of sensory nerves in the bladder wall which give rise to this condition.

(iv) The presence of some unidentified micro-organism in the bladder which may be causing damage to the bladder walls.

What actually occurs in “Painful Bladder Syndrome” is that ulcers or scars develop on the walls of the bladder which leads to the scarring and stiffness of the bladder and thereby hampering its normal function in the ejection of urine out of the body. Interstitial Cystitis is typically indicated by the following symptoms:

1. An excessive and frequent need to urinate.

2. The experiencing of a burning sensation during the act of urination.

3. A decrease in the ability to control the bladder.

4. Pain in the pelvic area

5. The experiencing of a burning sensation during intercourse

6. For men, the experiencing of pain in the penis and its immediate surroundings.

The diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis is made after eliminating all other serious conditions that afflict the urinary tract. Some of the tests which a patient needs to undergo for the diagnosis of the “Painful Bladder Syndrome” are:

1. Bladder Biopsy

2. Cystoscopy (telescopic examination of the bladder)

3. Urinalysis

4. Urine culture

5. Urodynamics (shows how much urine must be in the bladder before you feel the need to urinate)