Interstitial Cystitis Quiz

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Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)

Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Nao Saito, MD

Nao Saito, MD (Urology)

After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.

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Content updated on Mar 31, 2024

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How Ubie Can Help You

With an easy 3-min questionnaire , Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms, including the following personal information:

  • Biological Sex - helps us provide relevant suggestions for male vs. female conditions.

  • Age - adjusts our guidance based on any age-related health factors.

  • History - considers past illnesses, surgeries, family history, and lifestyle choices.

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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Pained urination with a reduced urine flow

  • Burning sensation with little urine

  • Pain when urinating

  • Pain at the beginning of urine

  • I have lower abdominal pain

  • Pain when I start peeing

  • I have left lower abdominal pain

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What is Interstitial Cystitis?

Inflammation of the bladder's muscle layers. The exact cause is unclear so other treatable possible causes like infection need to be ruled out. Since the condition can last for a long time, coping strategies are important.

Typical Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis

  • Decreased urine volume with painful urination

  • Bladder pain that is relieved by passing urine

  • Pain when passing urine

  • Abdominal pain

  • Medication is not working

  • Feeling there is still urine left in the bladder after urinating

  • Needing to pass urine again, despite just passing less than 2 hours ago

  • Often have a sudden need to pass urine in the past one month

Doctor's Diagnostic Questionson Interstitial Cystitis

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:

  • Are you experiencing painful urination and decreased urine output?

  • Do you have pain when holding urine that goes away by passing urine?

  • Do you have pain when urinating?

  • Do you have a stomach ache?

  • Have you experienced drug resistance to your prescribed medications?

Treatmentof Interstitial Cystitis

There are many treatment options available, so discussing with your primary care provider and a specialist is important. Simple measures like physical therapy and painkiller pills may help. Other treatment options include electrical stimulation procedures to improve blood flow to the bladder, or filling the bladder to stretch it and relieve symptoms. In severe cases that do not respond to the above, surgery can be considered.

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References

  • Marcu I, Campian EC, Tu FF. Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome. Semin Reprod Med. 2018 Mar;36(2):123-135. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1676089. Epub 2018 Dec 19. PMID: 30566978.

    https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0038-1676089

  • Akiyama Y, Luo Y, Hanno PM, Maeda D, Homma Y. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome: The evolving landscape, animal models and future perspectives. Int J Urol. 2020 Jun;27(6):491-503. doi: 10.1111/iju.14229. Epub 2020 Apr 4. PMID: 32246572; PMCID: PMC7768977.

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/iju.14229

  • Akiyama Y, Hanno P. Phenotyping of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. Int J Urol. 2019 Jun;26 Suppl 1:17-19. doi: 10.1111/iju.13969. PMID: 31144756.

    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/iju.13969

  • Daniels AM, Schulte AR, Herndon CM. Interstitial Cystitis: An Update on the Disease Process and Treatment. J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2018 Mar;32(1):49-58. doi: 10.1080/15360288.2018.1476433. Epub 2018 Sep 13. PMID: 30212267.

    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15360288.2018.1476433

  • McLennan MT. Interstitial cystitis: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and clinical presentation. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2014 Sep;41(3):385-95. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2014.05.004. Epub 2014 Jul 9. PMID: 25155120.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889854514000424?via%3Dihub

User Testimonials

Reviewed By:

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc

Kenji Taylor, MD, MSc (Family Medicine, Primary Care)

Dr. Taylor is a Japanese-African American physician who grew up and was educated in the United States but spent a considerable amount of time in Japan as a college student, working professional and now father of three. After graduating from Brown, he worked in finance first before attending medical school at Penn. He then completed a fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control before going on to specialize in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) where he was also a chief resident. After a faculty position at Stanford, he moved with his family to Japan where he continues to see families on a military base outside of Tokyo, teach Japanese residents and serve remotely as a medical director for Roots Community Health Center. He also enjoys editing and writing podcast summaries for Hippo Education.

Nao Saito, MD

Nao Saito, MD (Urology)

After graduating from Tokyo Women's Medical University School of Medicine, Dr. Saito worked at Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Toda Chuo General Hospital, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, and Ako Chuo Hospital before becoming Deputy Director (current position) at Takasaki Tower Clinic Department of Ophthalmology and Urology in April 2020.

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