If you’re worried you’re suffering from interstitial cystitis, you might ask yourself, what exactly are the signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis and how can I identify and treat them? While the symptoms can vary from person to person, there are some specific symptoms to watch for.
Identifying Interstitial Cystitis
Identifying interstitial cystitis symptoms can be a difficult topic for two reasons. One, symptoms often involve parts of our bodies we rather not have to discuss in detail, especially in public. And two, symptoms vary so wildly it can be difficult to accurately and consistently diagnose each varying symptom as being specifically related to IC and not something else (like a bladder infection). This makes interstitial cystitis diagnosis difficult but not impossible.
Interstitial Cystitis Symptoms
Interstitial cystitis symptoms deviate greatly from one person to another yet exhibit some similarities with those of a urinary tract infection.
In short, the bladder wall becomes inflamed, ulcerated, as well as scarred, inducing common, painful urination. Hematuria (blood in the urine) may occur. Patients can wake up two or more times per night to urinate.
More detailed symptoms may include:
- Reduced bladder capacity
- Urgent urination night and day
- Dyspareunia
- Pain or discomfort in urinary tract organs
- Pain, pressure, and tenderness about the bladder, pelvis, and perineum which might increase as the bladder fills and decrease as it empties
Many individuals persevering interstitial cystitis exhibit both urinary frequency (urgency) as well as pelvic pain, though these symptoms can likewise occur individually or in any combination. In many women, symptoms ordinarily exacerbate about the time of their menstruation.
As with numerous other illnesses, stress may also escalate any persistent IC symptom you’ve endured, but it doesn’t induce these symptoms. The symptoms commonly feature a gradual onset, and urinary frequency is the most common early symptom.
Symptoms normally worsen inside the first five years and then they may even out. Patients suffering from interstitial cystitis usually experience periods of symptom flares, or symptom intensification, followed by periods of remission as symptoms fade (but rarely vanish). Despite having mostly gained control of my IC with the help of Quercetin Bromelain supplementation, I am still not 100 percent discomfort-free.
Pain can be moderate or so intense it becomes debilitating. Such peaks and valleys may vary from day to day.
For men signs can include pain as well as inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis). Women can suffer increased vulvar pain, that is considered to be of neurogenic descent. Both men and women may experience pain in the perineum.
Unfortunately the origin of interstitial cystitis is still unknown. And while many IC symptoms resemble those of a vesica infection (or bladder infection), interstitial cystitis does not appear to be caused by bacteria. Frustratingly, one of the key ways to identify IC is the lack of another appropriate diagnosis. So if you experience chronic pain in the area we’ve described and your doctor can’t successfully diagnose you with anything else, you’ve probably developed interstitial cystitis.
I know this is an uncomfortable topic just to discuss, but hold on to hope and read about interstitial cystitis natural treatment.
Thank you for reading; I hope you’ve gained some empowering wisdom while here.