A little bit about Interstitial Cystitis.
To put it plainly, Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder wall. Its cause is unknown. "Common" cystitis, also known as a urinary tract infection, is caused by bacteria and is usually successfully treated with antibiotics. Unlike common cystitis, IC is believed not to be caused by bacteria and does not respond to the use of antibiotics. It is important to note that IC is not "all in your head" and it is not caused by stress.
IC can affect people of any age, race or sex. It is, however, most commonly found in women. It is reported that interstitial cystitis affects approximately 700,000 people in the US. Recent surveys estimate that there may be greater than 1,000,000 cases of IC in the US.
Most people can not get a good nights sleep because of the constant need to urinate. I myself was up every fifteen to thirty minutes. Depression seems to go hand in hand with it as well.
Frequency, Urgency, Pain and other disorders such as muscle and joint pain, migraines, allergic reactions and gastrointestinal problems are just a few of the symptoms. It seems that IC seems to have an unexplained association with other chronic diseases and pain syndromes such as vulvar vestibulitis, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. But many IC patients seem to only have bladder discomfort and symptoms.
If you would like to find out more about this debilitating disease, please follow the links below.
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