Bladder Pain Syndrome

Overview:

Interstitial cystitis, popularly known as bladder syndrome, is the chronic condition that results in mild or severe pain and pressure in the bladder and sometimes causes pelvic pain. Your bladder is a muscular hollow organ, the function of which is to store urine. It expands when full and then passes signals to your brain to urinate, using the pelvic nerves as the channel of communication. The urge to urinate is thus created, under normal conditions. But if you have bladder pain syndrome, these signals get mixed up, thereby sending frequent signals to the brain for urination, even if the bladder is not full. The syndrome is more common in women rather than men. If left untreated, interstitial cystitis could result in some complications including decreasing of bladder capacity, reduced quality of life, emotional troubles and sexual intimacy issues.

Symptoms:

The signs and symptoms of bladder pain syndrome differ in different people, based on factors such as time, menstruation, physical activities, stress and sexual activity.

Some common signs and symptoms are:

  • Chronic pelvic pain
  • Frequent urination – up to sixty times a day
  • Persistent and urgent need to pass urine
  • Pain during sexual intercourse
  • In women, pain in pelvis or between vagina and anus
  • In men, pain between the scrotum and anus
  • Pain or discomfort after urination

Causes:

Although the exact causes for bladder pain syndrome are not known, the risk factors include:

  • Defective epithelium of the bladder
  • Leak in epithelium, which is the protective lining of the bladder
  • Irritation in epithelium due to toxic substances
  • Genetic defects
  • Allergies
  • Infections
  • Autoimmune reactions
  • Heredity
  • Chronic pain disorders like fibromyalgia or irritable bowel syndrome

Risk Factors:

The following risk factors are associated with bladder pain syndrome:

  • Female gender
  • White ethnicity
  • Age bracket of 20 to 60 years
  • Positive FHx

Diagnosis:

To prevent bladder pain syndrome, the following measures are recommended: 

  • Training the bladder to hold more urine, for longer periods
  • Reduce stress and be relaxed
  • Practice meditation to keep stress at bay
  • Wear loose clothing that do not pressurize your bladder
  • Indulge in low impact exercises like walking
  • Quit smoking
  • Avoid consumption of triggering foods, by maintaining a food journal