Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a challenging chronic bladder condition that disproportionately affects women and severely impacts quality of life. In this article, I discuss what interstitial cystitis is.
Understanding Interstitial Cystitis
Unlike bacterial cystitis, urine cultures in IC patients are completely sterile. The protective glycosaminoglycan (GAG) layer of the bladder wall is damaged, allowing toxic urine components to penetrate the bladder muscle and irritate nerves.