Interstitial cystitis, or I should rather say painful bladder syndrome, is one of those diagnoses that are difficult for the doctor to make, and difficult for the person with it to accept.

The symptoms are sometimes dramatic, but since the examinations are normal, it is tempting for the doctor to think that the disease is “imaginary”. However, in recent years, this disease has been better diagnosed and treated, which is very real, since on examination the bladder is irritated, red, and even bleeding.

A word of advice if someone around you is affected: advise them to seek and seek all the solutions and to keep abreast of medical progress. Indeed, advances are already present in research and this should accelerate further in the years to come.

dr. Catherine Solano