Skip to main content

How Do Symptoms of Cystitis, Overactive Bladder Differ?

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, May 8, 2023 -- The characteristics of pain, pressure, discomfort, and urgency vary for patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and those with overactive bladder (OAB), according to a study published online March 30 in BMC Urology.

Angelíca Gousse, M.D., from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues examined the sensations of bladder "pressure" and "discomfort" as distinct from "pain" and "urgency" in IC/BPS and OAB. Twenty-seven IC/BPS patients and 51 OAB patients rated their bladder pain, pressure, discomfort, and urinary urgency on numeric rating scales (scale of 0 to 10).

The researchers found that the mean numeric ratings of pain, pressure, discomfort, and urinary urgency were almost identical among IC/BPS patients (6.6±2.1, 6.0±2.5, 6.5±2.2, and 6.0±2.8, respectively). Very strong three-way correlations were observed between pain, pressure, or discomfort. The mean numeric ratings of pain, pressure, and discomfort were similarly and significantly lower than urgency among OAB patients (2.0±2.6, 3.4±2.9, and 3.4±2.9, respectively, versus 6.1±2.6). In OAB, the correlations between urgency and pain and between urgency and pressure were weak, while the correlation between urgency and discomfort was moderate. Bladder/pubic pain was the most bothersome symptom of IC/BPS, while urinary urgency and daytime frequency were the most bothersome symptoms of OAB.

"These findings clearly confirmed 'pain' and 'urgency' as cardinal and most bothersome symptom of IC/BPS and OAB, respectively," the authors write. "In future studies, it would also be beneficial to examine whether the discomfort was related to 'fear of pain' (which will point to IC/BPS) versus 'fear of leakage' (which will point to OAB)."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

FDA Approves New Antibiotic, Pivya, for Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections

TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary tract...

Computer Prompts Could Reduce Empiric Antibiotic Use for UTI

FRIDAY, April 19, 2024 -- For non-critically ill patients with urinary tract infection (UTI), computerized provider order entry (CPOE) prompts providing patient- and...

Transcutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation Device Beneficial in Overactive Bladder

TUESDAY, April 2, 2024 -- For patients with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, a wearable, smartphone-controlled, rechargeable transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS)...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.