Interstitial cystitis is a condition that causes recurrent pain / irritation in the bladder and quite often pain in the the pelvic region as well. People generally experience a sense of urgency to urinate, and an increased frequency to urinate as well. Interstitial cystitis is seen in men and predominantly women. Women may experience a burning with urination as well, and a severe discomfort in the lower pelvic region. Some women have no symptoms beside pain or burning on urination.

What causes interstitial cystitis?

Interstitial cystitis is a condition of inflammation as the name implies, hence any condition that can cause irritation or inflammation in pelvic region or bladder will cause it. There is no clear certainty as to what causes it. In my experience as a naturopathic doctor,  I have found that hormones and food allergies and food intolerances play a huge role in worsening the symptoms overall. Stress is another factor that can worsening symptoms of interstitial cystitis.

Natural treatments / naturopathic treatments for interstitial cystitis?

In order to treat interstitial cystitis naturally, one must first find out what caused it in the first place. There are various triggers that seem to make the symptoms worse such as drinking coffee and alcohol and of course, stress. Some of the natural treatments for interstitial cystitis are

– Eliminating triggers such as foods that may cause irritation of the bladder- such as coffee, alcohol, chocolate, among others. If you are not sure what might be triggering your symptoms, ask your naturopathic doctor to do a food allergy or food intolerance test.

– Since interstitial cystitis could be related to generalized inflammation in the body elsewhere, it would be important to manage that inflammation with diet and other natural supplements. This in turn will help improve your interstitial cystitis symptoms.

– If you are a female, your menstrual cycle may also have a bearing on your interstitial cystitis symptoms. Talk to your naturopath about maybe testing your hormones using saliva to get an accurate reading of your hormones and correct any imbalances.

Need more information? Please call us at 416 913 4325 to schedule an appointment.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.