Painful bladder syndrome is a disorder that causes painful urinary symptoms.
Painful Bladder Syndrome also called Interstitial Cystitis(IC), is a chronic condition that causes pressure, pain, or discomfort in the bladder, lower abdomen, and pelvic area. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ of your body that stores urine. The bladder contracts when it is not filled with urine. Once it gets filled with urine, it expands and sends signals to your brain, creating an urge to urinate. When you are suffering from painful bladder syndrome, you feel the urgent and frequent need to urinate. The symptoms of painful bladder syndrome differ from person to person, range from mild to severe, and may come and go or be constant.
Dr. Ashit Shah, the chief urologist at Aashray Urology Institute, has listed down symptoms of painful bladder syndrome. They are as follow:
The symptoms mentioned above may vary from women to women. During a "flare", the symptoms either get suddenly worse or go away for some time. You should consult with your doctor if you are experiencing any kind of pain or discomfort in the bladder as the condition can get more serious if you get a urinary tract infection along with interstitial cystitis.
The exact cause of painful bladder syndrome is unknown. The possible causes include a defect in the protective lining of the bladder, an attack by the immune system of the body, infection, autoimmune reaction, and heredity.
To diagnose painful bladder syndrome, the doctor will discuss your medical history including symptoms, and ask you to maintain a bladder diary (record of your fluid intake and the volume of urine you pass). You will also be asked for urine examination, cystoscopy, biopsy, pelvic examination, and potassium sensitivity test.
There is no one particular treatment that can eliminate painful bladder syndrome. The doctor will recommend a combination of treatments to control the symptoms. Some of the treatment options are as follow:
In bladder instillation, the doctor places asmall amount of liquid containing prescription medication into your bladder.This solution needs to be held for approximately 15 minutes before you expel itthrough urination
Surgical options are recommended by the doctor only when the other treatment options fail and the symptoms become severe. Surgery options include bladder augmentation, cystectomy (to remove the bladder), and urinary diversion.
Dr. Ashit Shah is a senior consultant Urologist heading Aashray Urology Institute. After completing his M.B.B.S. and M.S. in General Surgery, he was awarded Diplomate of National Board (D.N.B.) in Genito-Urinary Surgery by the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi. He earned his Diplomate in Laparoscopic Urology from Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France in the year 2006. Dr. Shah has a special interest in Endo-Urology, especially Urolithiasis i.e. Urinary Stone Disease. Having spent more than 27 years in the profession of Urology, he has experience of over 75,000 urological consultations and more than 15,000 surgeries. Being counted amongst the torch bearers of ethical and transparent medical practice in the city of Vadodara, he was conferred ‘Inspiring Urologist Award’ for the year 2019 by The Economic Times.
