Interstitial cystitis – little known but causes lots of pain

Interstitial cystitis (IC), often called painful bladder syndrome, is a bladder condition that affects around 1 million people in the United States; 90% are women. A study done in 2005 estimated that up to 12% of women in the US have symptoms of IC.

According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, “Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a condition that results in recurring discomfort or pain in the bladder and the surrounding pelvic region. The symptoms vary from case to case and even in the same individual. People may experience mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and pelvic area. Symptoms may include an urgent need to urinate (urgency), a frequent need to urinate (frequency), or a combination of these symptoms. Pain may change in intensity as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. Women’s symptoms often get worse during menstruation. They may sometimes experience pain with vaginal intercourse.”

IC is not curable at this point, but there are some treatments that can provide relief from the pain and discomfort for some people. Treatments range from restricting what you eat and drink (to decrease acidity and irritation) to pain medications or even inserting numbing medications through the urethra into the bladder through catheterization.

Many people who have IC do not talk about it, they don’t want to discuss their problems. Unfortunately, some who do seek help are not receiving the proper treatment or even understanding. Sadly, one statistic I found was that people with IC have suicidal thoughts 3 to 4 times higher than the American average.

We know that chronic pain, chronic disability can cause a host of other problems. It’s all that much worse when you have a problem you feel you can’t discuss with others.