The Conundrum of Bladder Pain Syndrome

According to the Interstitial Cystitis Association (ICA), as many as 3 to 8 million women and 1 to 4 million men in the US experience symptoms of the condition known as Interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome, or hypersensitive bladder syndrome.

Symptoms can include bladder pain, a sense of urinary urgency, or frequent sensation of needing to urinate even when the bladder is not full. These sensations can occur with bladder filling, with voiding, with sitting, exercise, or sexual activity. They are sometimes reduced or alleviated by urinating, but often only for a short time. Sometimes pain is absent, and urinary urgency/frequency is the only symptom.

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