Where is bladder pain felt

Many patients find that symptoms are worse if they are under stress either physical or mental. For women, the symptoms may vary with their period. Women may have pain during sex because the bladder is right in front of the vagina.

Men may have painful orgasm or pain the next day. It is unusual to experience leaking of urine with this disorder, and urinary leaking might be a sign of another problem. However, it is well-known that if a person has IC, physical or mental stress can make the symptoms worse.

It can also rob you of a good night's sleep. Too little sleep will leave you tired and unhappy. No specific behaviors such as smoking are known to increase your risk of IC. Next, they need to rule out other health issues that might be causing the symptoms. Your health care provider will examine you to look for the cause of your symptoms.

In women, the physical exam will likely include your abdomen, the organs in your pelvis, and your rectum. In men, a physical exam will include your abdomen, prostate, and rectum. Your health care provider may also do a neurological exam to rule out any other problems. The goal of the evaluation is to find pain location s , intensity, and characteristics, and to identify factors that make pain or discomfort better or worse. Your health care provider will also ask how often you void..

These include:. Urodynamic evaluation: This involves filling the bladder with water through a small catheter tube to drain fluid from the body. This measures bladder pressures as the bladder fills and empties. Cystoscopy: Using a special tool, your doctor looks inside the bladder. This test can rule out other problems such as cancer. Cystoscopy can also be performed in the operating room. If bladder stones, tumors or ulcers are seen during cystoscopy, the doctor can take care of them at the same time as the bladder biopsy, which is used to rule out other bladder diseases.

Treatment must be chosen for each patient based on symptoms. Patients usually try different treatments or combinations of treatments until good symptom relief occurs. It usually takes weeks to months before symptoms improve. Even with successful treatment, the condition may not be cured.

It is simply in remission. But, most patients can get significant relief of their symptoms and lead a normal life with treatment. Most treatments are aimed at symptom control. It is important to talk to your health care provider about how your treatments are working so that together you can find the best treatment option for you. In behavioral therapy, you make some changes in the way you live day-to-day.

This may include changing your diet, or practicing methods that may help control your symptoms. Most patients don't get rid of all their symptoms with lifestyle changes. But many do have fewer symptoms using these types of treatments. There are 4 foods that patients most often find irritating to their bladder:. Each patient must find out how foods affect his or her own bladder.

The simplest way to find out whether any foods bother your bladder is to try an "elimination diet" for 1 to 2 weeks. On an elimination diet, you stop eating all of the foods that could irritate your bladder.

If your bladder symptoms improve while you are on the elimination diet, this means that at least 1 of the foods was irritating your bladder. The next step is to find out exactly which foods cause bladder problems for you.

If this food does not bother your bladder within 24 hours, this food is likely safe and can be added back into your regular diet. The next day, try eating a second food from the list, and so on. In this way, you will add the foods back into your diet one at a time, and your bladder symptoms will tell you if any food causes problems for you. Be sure to add only 1 new food to your diet each day. When lifestyle changes do not help enough, your health care provider may ask you to try a prescription drug.

You may take the drug alone or along with behavioral therapy. Interstitial cystitis is a chronic inflammation of the bladder that can cause pelvic pain, frequent urination, and incontinence. Pain can be mild or…. Prostate problems and an overactive bladder can cause men to have frequent and sudden urges to urinate. Find out which exercises may help combat….

Kegel exercises can benefit both men and women. Here's a step-by-step guide to cleaning your vulva or penis after you pee and the benefits and risks involved in the process. If your doctor suspects complicated urinary tract infection UTI , there are several treatment options they may recommend. Learn what to expect if you…. Cystocele is a condition in which the bladder protrudes into the vagina.

We explain the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and more. A urine pH level test analyzes the acidity or alkalinity of a urine sample. Discover why it's important, what a normal urine pH level is, how to…. Foul-smelling urine is not a symptom or sign of cancer. It can, however, indicate other conditions, such as urinary tract infections or STIs.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. Causes Pain in women and men Asymmetrical pain Seeking help Managing pain Takeaway Overview The bladder is a hollow, balloon-shaped muscle in the middle of your pelvis.

Bladder pain causes. Bladder pain in women and men. Bladder pain on right or left side. When to see a doctor? Managing pain. The takeaway. Read this next. Interstitial Cystitis. Medically reviewed by Carissa Stephens, R. Some people may have pain without urgency or frequency. This pain may come from a spasm in the pelvic floor muscles, the group of muscles that is attached to your pelvic bones and supports your bladder, bowel, and uterus or prostate.

Pain from pelvic floor muscle spasm may get worse during sex. Researchers are working to understand the causes of IC and to find treatments that work. Even though the exact cause of IC is unknown, you may find that certain events or factors start, or trigger, your symptom flares. Symptom flares can make your IC feel worse. Some people have reported that their symptom flares happen when they 6. Talk with your health care professional about flare management.

If you know which factors make your symptoms flare, you may wish to avoid them. However, if factors that affect your health—like having sex, having a Pap smear, or taking certain medicines—make your symptom flares occur, talk with your health care professional right away.