Interstitial Cystitis
Interstitial cystitis (IC), often called painful bladder syndrome, is chronic inflammation of the wall of the bladder. The pain and changes in urination caused by IC can sometimes be disabling. In order to prove you have IC, you must show that you have some or all of the following symptoms with no other medical explanation for the symptoms: Frequent urge to urinate or urination Pain in the bladder and pelvis Tenderness in the pelvic area on physical examination Pinpoint bleeding on the bladder wall caused by reoccurring irritation after a cystoscopy, which is a procedure where the fill the bladder with water then drain it, and/or Hunner's ulcers on the bladder wall after a cystoscopy. Symptoms can come and go; IC commonly goes into periods of remission where there are no symptoms at all. Flare ups, where symptoms become much worse, can be caused by certain triggers such as menstruation, exercise, stress, sex, and sitting for an extended amount of time. To prove the above symptoms, ...