Cystoscopy. Doctors may use cystoscopy to look inside the urethra and bladder. 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).
Findings on urinalysis may be entirely normal or may show microscopic hematuria or pyuria. Urine culture results are usually sterile. However, patients with interstitial cystitis may also have a concurrent bladder infection. Urine cytology may be helpful in ruling out transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.
There is no single test to diagnose BPS (interstitial cystitis). You may have several tests to exclude other causes of your symptoms before a diagnosis can be confirmed. The tests offered may include: cystoscopy – a procedure to look inside your bladder using a thin camera called a cystoscope.
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.
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.
No known radiographic, ultrasonographic, or other imaging findings are specific for interstitial cystitis. Unless indicated to help exclude alternative diagnoses, radiographic studies have only a limited role in the evaluation of interstitial cystitis.
Common treatments for interstitial cystitis
Amitriptyline is the medication most commonly prescribed for interstitial cystitis. Elmiron is the only oral drug approved by the FDA specifically for interstitial cystitis. It improves the bladder lining, making it less leaky and therefore less inflamed and painful.
If you have interstitial cystitis, you'll receive the message to pee much more frequently, sometimes up to 60 times in a day, and the process of holding and releasing urine becomes very painful. For women, the pain in the pelvic region can increase in severity during the menstrual cycle.
Heat or Cold Therapy
The use of heat or cold packs over the bladder or perineum. IC patients often find heating pads very helpful in reducing muscle tension and/or discomfort.
If left untreated, cystitis can progress into a kidney infection (pyelonephritis). The bacteria causing the infection can travel from the bladder up into one or both kidneys, causing a kidney infection.
Antihistamines, such as loratadine (Claritin, others), which may reduce urinary urgency and frequency and relieve other symptoms. Pentosan polysulfate sodium (Elmiron), which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration specifically for treating interstitial cystitis.
In the early phase of IC the symptom flares are intermittent in most patients. Over time symptoms increase and pain cycles may appear and last for 3-14 days. When these cycles become more frequent and last longer they are likely to be referred to a specialist.
Urine analysis.
For this test, you collect a small amount of urine in a container. Your provider checks the urine for signs of infection, such as bacteria, blood or pus. If bacteria are found, you may also have a test called a urine culture to check what type of bacteria is causing the infection.
However, some people with IC find that certain foods or drinks trigger or worsen their symptoms. Coffee, soda, alcohol, tomatoes, hot and spicy foods, chocolate, caffeinated beverages, citrus juices and drinks, MSG, and high-acid foods can trigger IC symptoms or make them worse.
Coffee, soda, caffeinated beverages, tomatoes, spicy foods, high-acid foods, citrus, and MSG can all trigger IC symptoms. If you have a flare, journal what you ate prior to it. This will help you identify foods that could be causing your IC flares and allow you to avoid these in the future.
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.
End-stage interstitial cystitis is defined as a hard bladder that triggers intense pain and possesses very low bladder capacity. Many cases of end-stage interstitial cystitis involve Hunner's ulcers. Also known as “end-stage IC”, only about 5% of IC patients develop this severe condition.
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.
Typically, common symptoms include bladder pain, discomfort or urinary urgency. Severe symptoms such as painful sexual intercourse, difficulty exercising or travel hesitancy can interfere with daily activities. IC may cause the following symptoms: Urinary urgency during the night and day.
Doctors may use cystoscopy to look inside the urethra and bladder. 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).
A urologist is a doctor specializing in bladder diseases. Some gynecologists and urogynecologists (women's health doctors) also treat people with IC/BPS. Look for a doctor who has experience taking care of people with IC/BPS.