What are the signs and symptoms of interstitial cystitis?
The symptoms of PBS/IC vary greatly from one person to another but have some similarities to those of a urinary tract infection. They include • decreased bladder capacity; • an urgent need to urinate frequently day and night; • feelings of pressure, pain, and tenderness around the bladder, pelvis, and perineum (the area between the anus and vagina or anus and scrotum) which may increase as the bladder fills and decrease as it empties; • painful sexual intercourse (dyspareunia); • discomfort or pain in the penis and scrotum. Most people suffering from PBS/IC have both urinary frequency/urgency and pelvic pain, although these symptoms may also occur singly or in any combination. In most women, symptoms usually worsen around the time of their periods. As with many other illnesses, stress also may intensify the symptoms, but it does not cause them. The symptoms usually have a slow onset, and urinary frequency is the most common early symptom. As PBS/IC progresses over a few years, cycles o
