Article title: Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder disorder): NWHIC
Conditions: Interstitial Cystitis
Source: NWHIC
What is interstitial
cystitis?
What
are the causes of interstitial cystitis?
What are some symptoms and
signs of interstitial cystitis?
Is there a cure for
interstitial cystitis?
I have interstitial
cystitis and I've noticed that when I eat or drink foods that contain
Nutrasweet, that my bladder becomes more irritated. Is there anything in
my diet that I should avoid to lessen the symptoms of IC or anything else
I can do?
I have
interstitial cystitis and have just discovered I am 3 months pregnant.
Will it affect my baby in any way?
Interstitial cystitis, also known as painful bladder syndrome and frequency-urgency-dysuria syndrome, is a complex, chronic disorder that has baffled doctors for as long as it has been recognized." "People with interstitial cystitis (IC) have an inflamed, or irritated, bladder wall. This inflammation can lead to scarring and stiffening of the bladder, decreased bladder capacity, glomerulations (pinpoint bleeding) and, in rare cases, ulcers in the bladder lining." "Estimates of the number of people who have IC run as high as 500,000, but no one knows for sure how many people have it. About 90 percent of IC patients are women. While people of any age can be affected, about two-thirds of patients are in their twenties, thirties, or forties. IC is rare in children. In a few cases, IC has afflicted both mother and daughter, but there is no evidence that the disorder is hereditary, or genetically passed from parent to child.
No one knows what causes interstitial cystitis, but doctors studying the disorder believe it is a real, physical problem-not a result, symptom, or sign of an emotional problem. .Some people are diagnosed with IC after taking antibiotics for a presumed urinary tract infection. Therefore, it has been suggested that antibiotics may damage the bladder wall and make it "leaky." This idea has been studied carefully, but antibiotics have never been found to harm the bladder wall. Thus, other ideas are more likely to explain why some IC patients are diagnosed after a urinary tract infection. It is possible that the infection started an autoimmune response against the bladder, the patient's original symptoms were from IC all along, or an infecting organism is in bladder cells but is not detectable through routine tests.
The symptoms of interstitial cystitis vary greatly from one person to another but have some similarities to those of a urinary tract infection: decreased bladder capacity, an urgent need to urinate frequently day and night, feelings of pressure, pain, and tenderness around the bladder, pelvis, and perineum (the area between the anus and vagina or anus and scrotum), which may increase as the bladder fills and decrease as it empties, painful sexual intercourse, in men, discomfort or pain in the penis and scrotum, in most women, symptoms usually worsen around the menstrual cycle. As with many other illnesses, stress may also intensify symptoms but does not cause them.
Scientists have not yet found a cure for interstitial cystitis, nor can they predict who will respond best to which treatment. Symptoms may disappear without explanation or coincide with an event such as a change in diet or treatment. Even when symptoms disappear, however, they may return after days, weeks, months, or years. Scientists do not know why. Because doctors do not know what causes IC, treatments are aimed at relieving symptoms. Most people are helped for variable periods of time by one or a combination of treatments, many of which are described briefly in this booklet. However, as researchers learn more about IC, the list of potential treatments may change. Patients should discuss treatment options with a doctor.
There is no scientific evidence linking diet to IC, but some doctors and patients believe that alcohol, tomatoes, spices, chocolate, caffeinated and citrus beverages, and high-acid foods may contribute to bladder irritation and inflammation. Some patients also notice a worsening of symptoms after eating or drinking products containing artificial sweeteners. Patients may try eliminating such products from their diet and reintroduce them one at a time to determine which, if any, affect symptoms. It is important, however, to maintain a well-balanced and varied diet. Many IC patients feel that regular exercise helps relieve symptoms and, in some cases, hastens remission.
Researchers have little information about pregnancy and IC, but believe that the disorder does not affect fertility or the health of the fetus. Some women have a remission from IC during pregnancy, while others have more pain and pressure during the third trimester, possibly due to the weight of the fetus on the bladder.
You can find out more about interstitial cystitis by contacting the following organizations:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Interstitial Cystitis Association
This information was abstracted from fact sheets prepared by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
All material contained in the FAQs is free of copyright restrictions, and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services; citation of the sources is appreciated.
Publication date: 1998
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