WHAT IS INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS?

I've been talking about interstitial cystitis (IC) a lot on here, but it's also a disease that many people aren't aware of so I wanted to make a post explaining it all. As you know, I've been going to Boston Children's Hospital to figure out my bladder problems, and right now, they are treating it like it is IC. 

Definition:

"Interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition causing bladder pressure, bladder pain, and sometimes pelvic pain." My chiropractor and physical therapist basically explained it to me like this: since my bladder is so inflamed, it is sending the signal to my brain to empty it before it is full. When you continuously empty your bladder before it's full, it starts to shrink, like a balloon. This turns into a vicious cycle that's hard to get out of. 

Symptoms:

For me specifically, my symptoms include pain that feels like lasers shooting through my bladder, bladder frequency, and urgency. Some other common symptoms include:

• Pain in your pelvis or between the vagina and anus in women
• Pain between the scrotum and anus in men (perineum)
• Chronic pelvic pain
• A persistent, urgent need to urinate
• Frequent urination, often of small amounts, throughout the day and night (up to 60 times a day)
• Pain or discomfort while the bladder fills and relief after urinating.
• Pain during sexual intercourse

Cause:

There is no known cause for IC, but people will IC often have other chronic illnesses with chronic pain. For me, that illness would be endometriosis and it all has to do with my pelvic floor muscles. 

Risk Factors:

• Sex: IC is more common in women than in men. It is estimated to affect 3-8 million women and 1-4 million men in the United States.

• Body Characteristics: Fair-skinned people and redheads have a greater risk of IC.

• Age: Most people are diagnosed with IC in their 30s.

• Having a Chronic Pain Disorder: IC may be associated with other chronic pain disorders.

Cure:

There is currently no known cure for IC.

Treatments:

• Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy: this helps work on the pelvic floor muscles and stretch them out so your bladder can stretch back out again. I can't even describe how much it has helped me!

• Diet: eating an anti-inflammatory diet has also really helped me. Foods such as dairy, carbonation, sugar, and red meat are good to avoid to help ease bladder pain. 

• Biofeedback: Controlling the body's heartbeat, brainwaves, breathing, and blood pressure by monitoring them with sensors. This is a popular treatment method, but I don't have any personal experience with it. 

• Medications: there are certain medications that can be taken in pill or injection form that have been known to help people with IC. I don't have any experience with these medications either.

Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354357