Symptoms
Pain
- Recurrent pain or discomfort including throbbing, burning or pressure sensation
- Pain may occur when the bladder fills with urine, or gets emptied of it.
- Men also have pain when they ejaculate or when they experience an orgasm while women feel the pain during menstruation or during vaginal intercourse.
- The site of pain maybe anywhere in the lower abdomen, pelvic region, in the urinary passage (urethra) or in the back-passage or the rectum.
Frequency & Urgency
Usually in IC they exist together although urgency can exist on its own without frequency. Frequency of urination is considerably increased in people with IC/PBS mainly because their bladder cannot contain much urine even if its size is normal. If a person passes urine more than about 8 times it is considered as abnormal. Getting up in night to passé urine( nocturia) disturbs the sleep of the affected person. Some patients may pass urine every 10 to 15 minutes and may describe their overall frequency as 40 to 60 times in a day.
Incomplete emptying of urine or voiding is the other symptom that accompanies frequency and urgency
Symptoms of IC may get triggered or worsen in the following situations –
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- Women often find that their symptoms get worse just before or during menstruation
- The symtoms may also worsen during the menopause.
- Certain type of food or drinks may precipitate an attack or worsen the symptoms. They include – coffee or caffeine, Citrus fruits, tomatoes, vinegar, alcohol or carbonated drinks, hot spices such as hot pepper and pickles, and certain food with with artificial sweeteners. Other foods like raw bulb onions, and soy beans can precipitate the symptoms and should be avoided.
