Facts and Treatment for Interstitial Cystitis

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Are you are someone you know suffering from pelvic pain? Do you feel that you are always running to the restroom because you have the urge to urinate or urinate frequently? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering from a disease known as interstitial cystitis (IC). Before you panic, you should know that this disease is treatable, and you are not the only one suffering from it.

Throughout the course of this paper, you will learn everything you need to know about IC. First, we will talk about diagnosing the disease, what causes IC, medical conditions associated with IC, the various types of oral medications, and medications that are introduced into the bladder. In the second half of the paper, you will learn about the male with IC, surgery and the patient, sex, conservative therapies, and support.

To begin, what exactly is interstitial cystitis? It is a disease of the urinary bladder marked by inflammation and ulceration (interstitial cystitis means inflammation (cystitis) within (interstitial) the bladder wall). (Robert Moldwin). This is not a disease that can be detected by blood or urine. The only way that this disease is able to be recognized is by the symptoms that you are experiencing. A person with IC usually experiences symptoms between 30-50 years old, although it can occur earlier in life. It is said that 90% of IC patients tend to be women. (ICA)

You're probably thinking to yourself, "Do I have interstitial cystitis"? Your doctor can make the ultimate decision of whether or not you have IC. Providing a medical history will help eliminate and bring about possibilities. Tests will also be used to help determine the decision some of which include: a urinalysis, a urine culture, urine cytology, a pelvic ultra sound, and an urodynamic evaluation (Moldwin).

No one really knows what causes interstitial cystitis. Researchers have identified the causes by the complaints that the patients provide (ICA). Patients that have IC are said to have abnormalities on the bladder surface, abnormalities of the bladder's blood supply, undiagnosed microorganisms, and autoimmunity (ICA).

Today, there are many medical conditions that are associated with interstitial cystitis. In a 1997 study by Alagiri, Chottiner, Ratner, Slade, et al, described the following seen in IC patients: allergies 40.6, irritable bowel syndrome 25.4, and skin sensitivity 22.6 (Moldwin). Other conditions associated with IC include vulvodynia, pelvic floor dysfunction, fibromyalgia, urethral syndrome, and urinary tract infection (UTI) (WHC).

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