How common is IC? IC is common. The condition may affect between 3 million and 8 million women and between 1 million and 4 million men in the United States.
Current studies estimate that 2.7% to 6.5% of women in the United States have symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS).
However, it is more common in women than men. Early prevalence research suggested that IC ranged from 1 out of every 100,000 to 5.1 out of every 100,000 in the general population; but updated epidemiologic research conducted in 2006 suggests that up to 12% of women may have early symptoms of IC.
If you have interstitial cystitis, the signals from the bladder are painful and may occur even when the bladder is not full. The condition most often occurs between ages 20 to 40, although it has been reported in younger people. Women are 10 times more likely to have IC than men.
Genetic and immune disorders, recurrent bacterial infections, and pelvic floor dysfunction are possible factors that can lead to this condition. Excessive frequency of urination, urinary urgency, and urethra, bladder or pelvic pain are common symptoms.
Most patients need to continue treatment indefinitely or the symptoms return. Some patients have flare-ups of symptoms even while on treatment. In some patients the symptoms gradually improve and even disappear. Some patients do not respond to any IC/BPS therapy.
Interstitial cystitis affects women much more often than men, as women are ten times more likely to develop the condition.
Symptoms of BPS (interstitial cystitis)
sudden strong urges to pee. needing to pee more often than usual. pain in your lower tummy when your bladder is filling up, which is relieved when you pee. waking up several times during the night to pee.
People with interstitial cystitis (IC) have repeat discomfort, pressure, tenderness or pain in the bladder, lower abdomen, and pelvic area. Symptoms vary from person to person, may be mild or severe, and can even change in each person as time goes on.
Background. Interstitial cystitis (IC) does not start as an endstage disease, it has a beginning when symptoms are milder, intermittent and the disease is misdiagnosed.
Living with IC can be difficult. Because there is no cure for IC, eating well and managing health is an important way to fend off flare-ups. Planning ahead for travel and other activities can make daily life easier as well. The Interstitial Cystitis Foundation has some tips for eating, exercise and travel.
IC is a chronic disease. Patients may find some comfort in the fact that it is not life-threatening and it does not lead to cancer. However, because the symptoms are always present, patients need to develop coping skills to deal with them.
Doctors use a cystoscope, a tubelike instrument, to look for bladder ulcers, cancer, swelling, redness, and signs of infection. A doctor may perform a cystoscopy to diagnose interstitial cystitis (IC).
Interstitial Cystitis Facts
It does not spread in the body and does not seem to worsen with time. It is not a cause of bladder cancer.
In most cases, full recovery from interstitial cystitis is not possible and treatment will be ongoing or whenever symptoms appear. However, sometimes symptoms get better and disappear over time.
Most Bothersome Foods. There are certain items that are more likely to trigger IC/BPS flares: Coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated), tea (caffeinated and decaffeinated), soda, alcohol, citrus juices, and cranberry juice. Foods and beverages containing artificial sweeteners.
They may perform a biopsy, removing a small sample of bladder tissue for examination under a microscope. In patients with frequency and urgency of urination, they may perform urodynamic studies to quantify the bladder pressure and capacity, urinary flow, and the patient's ability to empty the bladder.
There is no best way to diagnose IC. A variety of tests may be needed. These include urine tests, imaging tests, and biopsy.
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is an autoimmune related condition that 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. The symptoms vary from person to person. Some people may have pain without urgency or frequency.
For about half the cases, interstitial cystitis goes away by itself. Among those who need treatment, most find relief and get their lives back to normal. Treatment is mainly about symptom control. It takes trial and error to find the right combination of treatments.
Lasting from hours to weeks, IC flares can be unpredictable, disruptive and difficult to manage for both newly diagnosed and veteran IC patients. Flares can be triggered in many different ways that irritate the bladder wall, tighten pelvic floor muscles and/or sensitize nerves.
The strongest association occurs between interstitial cystitis and Sjögren's syndrome. Increasing evidence suggests a possible role of autoantibodies to the muscarinic M3 receptor in Sjögren's syndrome.
Stress does not cause IC, but if you have IC, stress can cause a flare. Physical stress and mental stress can lead to flares. Remember, every flare will settle down and worrying about it only prolongs the discomfort. Understanding stress and how to minimize it is the best way to limit the intensity of your flares.