Browse Tag by bladder pain
Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

Is Interstitial Cystitis Really Just One Disease?

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a painful bladder condition that, in the research, is usually described as being of ‘unknown etiology’ [1] i.e. the true cause is unknown.

Several researchers have suggested that IC should be called ‘Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS)’ or ‘Bladder Pain Syndrome (BPS)’ [2].

When we talk about a syndrome (such as IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome), we normally talk about an array of similar symptoms for which the causes are not known or for which several causes could exist.

If you’ve been following my blog, you will have seen several articles about different root causes of IC. This begs the question: is IC really just one disease? Or could it be several conditions, resulting in similar symptoms in the bladder?

Continue Reading

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder

Inflammation: The Underlying Problem of All Chronic Disease

There are different forms of Inflammation, ranging from acute to chronic. Inflammation plays an important part in the immune response and is designed to help us survive – it is the immune system’s response to infections and injury.

The inflammatory response has helped us to survive in the evolutionary environment. Throughout evolution, the inflammatory response has stayed the same – our environment however, has changed drastically in the past couple of centuries (not a long time in evolutionary terms!).

The changes in our environment are thought to parallel the rise in chronic disease. Could inflammation be one of the reasons?

Continue Reading

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

The Allergic Bladder

Interstitial cystitis is often associated with a range of other degenerative diseases such as IBS, IBD, Fibromyalgia, Sjoegen’s, Lupus and also allergies.

‘Classic’ interstitial cystitis has some common features with allergies such as increased mast cells, histamine and inflammation.

Is something else causing IC, allergies and associated diseases or could allergies be a root cause? What if some cases of IC are simply a symptom of food intolerance? I call this the allergic bladder.

Continue Reading

Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder, Urinary Incontinence

Fungal Infections in the Urinary Tract

When speaking about urinary tract infections, we usually speak about bacterial infections. Fungi (a.k.a yeasts or mold) are different organisms from bacteria and they can cause infections such as thrush in some parts of the body. Fungal infections in the vagina for example are a well-known condition. But can there also be fungal infections in the urinary tract?

Continue Reading

Protocols

How Yoga can Help Bladder Disorders and Other Chronic Conditions

Yoga is a type of mental and physical exercise that has been used in traditional Indian medicine since ancient times.

In recent years it has become more and more popular as a form of exercise and relaxation technique in the Western world.

Its use as a therapeutic intervention to accompany other forms of medicine has also grown in the West.

Today I would like to take a look at how yoga can be used as a therapy for chronic urologic conditions such as interstitial cystitis and chronic UTIs and chronic illness in general.

Continue Reading

Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder, Urinary Incontinence

Contraception and Bladder Health

Last week I had a look at how hormones affect the urinary tract. Changes in the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone and even the ‘male’ hormone testosterone appear to affect urinary tract symptoms.

Oral contraception affects hormone levels in the body and may therefore also affect urinary tract symptoms.

Other contraception may not affect hormones but may have an impact on the urinary tract in other ways.

Today I would like to take a look at what we know about different forms of contraception and bladder health.

Continue Reading

Conditions, Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Overactive Bladder, Urinary Incontinence

The Role of Hormones in Bladder Health

Today I’d like to take a closer look at the role of hormones on bladder health. Hormones have been known for a while to play a role in lower urinary tract symptoms such as UTIs, interstitial cystitis and stress incontinence. Hormones may be the reason why women generally seem to be more prone to bladder problems than men and also why some symptoms may get worse at certain times of the month.

Continue Reading

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

5 Tips for Dealing With Mast Cells

Last week I talked about the theory that some cases of interstitial cystitis may not be IC per se, but rather a mast cell activation disorder affecting different systems in the body.

Today I would like to offer a couple of natural options that may help to reduce mast cells or at least their effects in the body.

Continue Reading

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

Is it Really IC or could it be Mast Cell Activation Disorder?

In many cases of interstitial cystitis, mast cells are raised in the bladder and play a big role in the unpleasant symptoms of an IC flare. Modern medicine likes to put names on symptoms but sometimes this may not describe the real issue well.

Interstitial cystitis is often a diagnosis of exclusion and similar to syndromes such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) it is a functional disorder with an array of symptoms. The condition in itself could even be a symptom in itself. In the case of raised mast cells the question is whether it is really IC or could it be mast cell activation disorder (MCAD)?

Continue Reading

Conditions, Interstitial Cystitis

Why Stress Can Trigger Interstitial Cystitis Flares

Both emotional and physiological stressors seem to trigger flares of interstitial cystitis in some patients. For me that was certainly the case. Therefore, I’d like to have a look at why stress can trigger interstitial cystitis flares.

Stress may be one of the biggest culprits of modern life when it comes to triggering chronic illness. The problem seems to be that there is an evolutionary mismatch between the body’s stress response and what we perceive as being stressful.

Continue Reading