DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am a 45-year-old woman with urinary challenges, including feeling the frequent urge to empty my bladder. My primary doctor said I might have interstitial cystitis and suggested I see a urogynecologist. Could you explain this condition? What are my treatment options, and will I recover?

ANSWER: Cystitis is the medical term for inflammation of the bladder. Most of the time, the inflammation is caused by an infection. But interstitial cystitis, also called painful bladder syndrome, is different. It is a disease that causes pressure or pain in the bladder and pelvis that is associated with trying to hold urine.

Symptoms can range from mild burning or discomfort to severe pain and a persistent, urgent need to urinate. Interstitial cystitis is a chronic condition that can be difficult to treat, which is why your primary care provider suggested a urogynecologist.

A urogynecologist is a specialist who cares for women with pelvic floor disorders. This includes bladder leakage, pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic pain.

Unlike other forms of cystitis, researchers don’t know the exact reason for interstitial cystitis. But many theories exist regarding its cause.

Some researchers believe that people with interstitial cystitis have a defect in the protective lining, or epithelium, of their bladder. A leak in the epithelium may allow substances in urine to irritate the bladder wall, causing pain.

It’s also possible that problems with the pelvic nerves cause people who have interstitial cystitis to feel the need to urinate more often and with smaller volumes of fluid than most people. Other theories about the cause of interstitial cystitis include an autoimmune, hereditary, infectious or allergic condition, but none of these has been proven.

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