Browse Tag by root cause of interstitial cystitis
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?

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Cystitis, Interstitial Cystitis

Biofilm Infections: The True Cause of Bladder Problems?

If you suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) or interstitial cystitis you need to know about biofilm infections.

More and more studies have demonstrated that pathogenic bacteria can persist within the bladder tissue and serve as a ‘reservoir’ for recurrent urinary tract infections.

Bacteria and fungi can make so-called biofilms and hide under them. This protects the bacteria from being discovered by our immune system or from being killed by antibiotics. It also makes it harder to discover them in a urine culture.

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