HealthInfo Canterbury
Painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis)
Mate tōngamimi kūiti
Painful bladder syndrome (interstitial cystitis) is inflammation of the bladder causing bladder pain and sometimes pelvic pain when your bladder is full. It's a long-term condition.
With painful bladder syndrome, there's no obvious infection in your bladder and antibiotics don’t help.
The exact causes of painful bladder syndrome aren't known but many factors may contribute. These include damage to your bladder lining and problems with your pelvic floor muscles. Your immune system attacking your bladder is another possible cause.
Symptoms of painful bladder syndrome
Symptoms can include:
- Pain (particularly when your bladder is full) when weeing (urinating) and during sexual intercourse. You may feel pain in your pelvis and abdomen. Women may also feel pain in their vagina. Men may also feel pain in their scrotum and anus.
- Needing to wee urgently and frequently.
Diagnosing painful bladder syndrome
There's no single test to diagnose painful bladder syndrome. Your general practice team will examine you and ask you questions about your general health. They may also arrange a urine test to look for signs of infection and any abnormal cells.
You may have an ultrasound or CT scan.
You may also need a urodynamic test, which involves filling and emptying your bladder with water while taking pressure measurements.
You may need to be referred for a cystoscopy during which a small camera is passed into the bladder.
Treating painful bladder syndrome
The treatment for painful bladder syndrome is aimed at reducing or getting rid of your symptoms. You may need several treatments or combinations of treatments to relieve your symptoms. These can include physiotherapy, medication and surgery. They can also include filling your bladder with salt water (saline).
Self-care for painful bladder syndrome
Things that may help improve your symptoms include:
- drinking plenty of fluids regularly throughout the day
- keeping a food diary – if you notice certain foods or drinks (like citrus fruits and alcohol) make symptoms worse, avoid them, but ask for medical advice first
- stopping smoking – the chemicals in cigarettes can irritate your bladder
- reducing stress – try exercise, warm baths and mindfulness-based meditation techniques.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- NHS – Bladder pain syndrome (interstitial cystitis)
More detailed information about the condition and its treatment and what you can do to manage the symptoms.
- Patient.info – Painful bladder syndrome
More detailed information about the condition and its treatment and what you can do to manage the symptoms.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed April 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIURS-53047
