Are you experiencing pain in the pelvic area and need to urinate frequently? You may have a urinary tract infection (UTI). Then again, if the problem doesn’t go away, it may be something else. You may have interstitial cystitis (IC).
“The pain and frustration of IC is often mistaken for a UTI,” says Dr. Louis F. Plzak III, a board-certified, fellowship-trained urologist who sees patients at Beaufort Memorial Urology Specialists in Beaufort and Okatie. “However, there are differences in the symptoms, and typical treatment for UTIs is useless against interstitial cystitis.”
What Is Interstitial Cystitis?
Interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition affecting as many as 1 million Americans, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Unlike a UTI, interstitial cystitis isn’t a bacterial infection and doesn’t respond to antibiotics. It’s a chronic disorder that causes bladder-related symptoms.
Also known as bladder pain syndrome, it’s most common in women but can affect anyone at any age. Though the problem’s cause isn’t clear, it may come from one of the following:
- Abnormal substances in the urine
- Allergies
- Autoimmune diseases
- Bladder wall lining defects
- Infections that typical tests don’t detect
- Vascular disease
Read More: Kidney Infection vs. UTI: Do You Know the Difference?
Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis
Interstitial cystitis often causes chronic pain, but not always.
“Every case of interstitial cystitis is unique,” Dr. Plzak says. “You may have mild or severe symptoms that change over time or disappear for no reason for a while.”
Symptoms can return weeks or even years later after stopping. Regardless of their severity or frequency, symptoms may include:
- Bladder pain — The pain may be constant or increase over time until you urinate. You may experience relief for a short period after urinating.
- Frequent urination — You may urinate as many as 60 times a day. Additionally, you may often feel an urgent need to urinate, even if your bladder isn’t full.
- Pelvic pain — You experience tenderness, discomfort or pressure in the pelvic and lower abdominal area.
- Sexual discomfort — Your pelvic floor muscles may spasm and cause pain during intercourse.
Triggering the Pain
The fluctuating symptoms of interstitial cystitis can make it even harder to recognize. Therefore, it’s important to recognize your triggers.
Potential triggers include:
- Dehydration
- Eating or drinking certain foods
- Engaging in sex
- Experiencing excess stress
- Having a UTI
- Holding your urine for a prolonged period
- Lifting or pushing heavy objects
- Menstruating
- Skipping meals
- Using specific toilet paper
- Wearing clothes washed in a specific laundry detergent
When you have symptoms, note your environment, activity and diet leading up to the flare-up. This information can help your healthcare provider diagnose your issue.
Read More: Bladder Control Medication to Tame Urge Urinary Incontinence
Diagnosing Interstitial Cystitis
“There is no single test to detect interstitial cystitis,” Dr. Plzak says. “Diagnosing the condition requires your healthcare provider to rule out similar conditions.”
A few of these include:
- Bladder cancer
- Diabetes
- Nerve-related issues
- UTIs
After reviewing your medical history and symptoms, your healthcare provider will perform a physical examination. This assessment may include a pelvic exam (for females) or a digital rectal exam (for males).
Based on these results, your provider may recommend one or more of the following:
- Cystoscopy — Your urologist fills your bladder with fluid, then looks inside your bladder and urethra using a thin tube with a tiny camera on the end.
- Urinalysis or urine culture — You provide a urine sample. Laboratory experts then examine the sample for blood, bacteria or other abnormalities.
- Urodynamic testing — You perform certain tasks that help measure the urinary tract’s ability to store and release urine.
Following these tests, your care team can often rule out or confirm a diagnosis. They then begin working with you to develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Treating Interstitial Cystitis
Treating interstitial cystitis requires a tailored approach.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a cure for IC yet,” Dr. Plzak says, “but treatments can help you manage the condition, reduce your symptoms and maximize your quality of life.”
Read More: Nocturia: When Your Bladder Won’t Let You Sleep
Managing Symptoms on Your Own
Over-the-counter medication can help with any pain. You can further reduce symptoms of interstitial cystitis with lifestyle changes, such as:
- Avoiding triggers — Find out what causes your symptoms to flare up and avoid them as much as possible.
- Drinking more water — Your bladder and your body thrive on water. Find out how much you need every day and drink accordingly. It may also help to avoid caffeine and alcohol.
- Exercising regularly — Take a walk or stretch your body.
- Not smoking — Smoking irritates your bladder and puts you at risk for all sorts of health risks. Cut your risk with smoking cessation.
- Reducing stress — Practice deep breathing techniques and other ways to handle the stress in your life.
- Retraining your bladder — With bladder training, you urinate on a predetermined schedule. This helps reduce the number of times you urinate and may lessen your urge to use the restroom.
Professional Help for Bladder Pain Syndrome
When you have a hard time managing symptoms on your own, your healthcare provider may recommend other approaches. Additional treatments for interstitial cystitis include:
- Bladder stretching — You receive anesthesia to remain unconscious and relaxed while your healthcare provider fills your bladder with water. This helps stretch the bladder and may relieve symptoms.
- Bladder wash — A healthcare professional injects medication directly into your bladder through a catheter. Several treatments may be required.
- Neuromodulation — A device sends mild electrical pulses to your bladder to reduce urinary symptoms. The device may be implanted under your skin.
- Physical therapy — A therapist helps you stretch and relax your pelvic floor muscles to help relieve bladder symptoms and spasms.
- Surgery — The surgeon removes your bladder. This rare treatment is an option in severe cases that persist despite other treatments.
“As frustrating as IC can be, it’s important that you don’t just accept it as part of life,” Dr. Plzak says. “It’s possible to manage your condition, but you can’t give up. You have to ask questions and advocate for yourself.”
Read More: What Your Urine Smell, Color and Flow Are Telling You
Pain-Free Facts on Interstitial Cystitis
If you think you may have interstitial cystitis, work with your care team for a clear diagnosis and treatment plan that can help you manage your symptoms.
- Interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition that has no cure and no known cause.
- Pain and frequent urination are two common signs of the condition, and these symptoms may come and go over time and be mild or severe.
- Treatment options range from lifestyle changes and physical therapy to stretching out the bladder and in rare cases, surgery.
Find a urology provider at Beaufort Memorial.
