Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome, is more prevalent than previously thought, at least according to research posted on the U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
According to the results sampled from a managed care population in the Pacific Northwest, the prevalence of IC was as high as 197 per 100,000 women and 41 per 100,000 men. Let’s take a closer look at 13 ways this condition affects patients, and what to do about it…
Defining IC
The Interstitial Cystitis Association defines IC as a bladder condition that consists of many symptoms, including pain in the pelvic region.
The source notes there are actually three types of IC, including two subtypes (ulcerative and non-ulcerative). About 90-percent of individuals with IC have the latter form, which is characterized by “pinpoint hemorrhages, also known as glomerulations, in the bladder wall,” adds the source.