Irritable bladder syndrome, also called interstitial cystitis, is a condition that can occur by itself or in conjunction with a number of other autoimmune diseases such as fibromyalgia, lupus or scleroderma. Symptoms of irritable bladder syndrome vary between patients, report researchers at the International Scelroderma Network. Symptoms can range from severe pain to inconvenient interruptions of daily activities. Irritable bladder syndrome is not caused by infection, but instead is thought to be an autoimmune disease or irregularly formed bladder.
Pain
Pain while urinating is a common symptom of irritable bladder syndrome. The cause of the pain, which is uncovered during a surgical inspection of the bladder, is an irritated, inflamed bladder wall. Doctors at the American Academy of Family Physicians report that the bladder becomes stiff from the soreness and cannot expand when filled with urine. Sores can develop in the bladder and cause minor bleeding. Pain and tenderness tends to spread to surrounding areas of the pelvis and scrotum. Men and women both experience pain during intercourse and the pain often worsens for women during their menstruation cycles.
Urgency
Patients with irritable bladder syndrome typically feel the need to urinate often. When they go, there usually is little more than a trickle. They are disturbed during sleep with a strong urge to urinate. The urgency and regularity of the need to urinate is similar to those who drink a lot of fluids or use diuretics. The National Institutes of Health reports that although the urge to urinate is strong, people with irritable bladder syndrome often just experience a small trickle when they do visit the toilet. Many people with interstitial cystitis attribute the frequency of urination to natural aging processes. The need to urinate, however, should be examined when it occurs more than eight times a day in any person. Instances of reported urination urges occur as many as 60 times a day in people with irritable bladder syndrome.
Burning
Many people with irritable bladder syndrome are misdiagnosed with urinary tract infections (UTI) even though there is no indication of an infection. Those who continually receive this diagnosis on a regular basis should request a bladder examination to check for interstitial cystitis. Patients experience a burning sensation when urinating and continuously leak small amounts of urine. While the feeling of having to urinate is strong, when they try, people with a urinary tract infection often cannot produce any urine. When they do go, the urine is cloudy, dark or bloody.
