About Bladder Ulcers
Bladder ulcers, also referred to as interstitial cystitis, are known to as a neuroinflammatory condition occurring in the bladder wall. The symptoms of bladder ulcers resemble the symptoms of acute urinary tract infection, which may include urinary pressure, urinary frequency and pelvic pain. Symptoms may also occur even in the absence of any apparent and definable pathology.
Common Challenges
Bladder ulcers can turn out to be critical due to several factors. At this state, body may become partially or completely non-responsive to antibiotics. The symptoms of bladder ulcers may range from mild to severe. Until recently, no etiology has been identified. Scientists have not defined any particular line of effective treatment. Hence, still there is room to explore.
Forms of Bladder Ulcers
Essentially, there are two major forms of bladder ulcers. While the majority of the individuals having bladder ulcers experience non-ulcerative form, the minor grouped patients may suffer from Hunner's ulcers. About 90% individuals suffering from bladder ulcers show glomerulations at the time of cystoscopic investigation. However, cystoscopic investigations may not be proportionate with the symptoms of bladder ulcers in many cases.
Available Treatment
Till date, there is no individual effective treatment available for bladder ulcers. The standard mode of intervention is a multimodal approach. In a typical multimodal approach, the effective treatment plan is designed using trial and error method till both the patient and doctor become able to find out a combination therapy which is not only effective, but also well tolerated.
There are different subtypes of bladder ulcers. The response mechanism of each of these subtypes differs from each other. The urological approach usually begins with the most conservative therapies initially. Due to the overlapping of different subtypes, sometimes it becomes critical to identify it exclusively, so targeted approach towards therapy could have been failed at that point.
Self-Help Measures
In addition to medication, self-help measures are found to be compulsory for proper intervention. Elimination of caffeine, alcoholic beverages, acidic or spicy foods from regular diet are obligatory. Bladder retraining may offer benefit. Self-hypnosis, relaxation therapy and guided imagery may help in alleviating pain syndromes. Gentle, non-jarring exercises and walking can offer help during the management phase.
Physical Therapy
Many individuals suffering from bladder ulcers report that they receive benefit from physical therapy. Physical therapy can offer relaxation of the muscles in the affected area, leading to alleviation of the pain symptoms and increased bladder ability. However, contrary to Kegel exercises and the likes, the objective of the physical therapy used specifically for this purpose is to offer utmost relaxation, not to boost up muscle tone.
