Below you will find a brief overview of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) and urinary tract infections (UTIs), which covers the definition, incidence in the UK, and risk factors associated with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome and UTIs.

Definition
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome is a chronic bladder condition characterised by mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness or intense pain in your bladder and pelvic area. These symptoms often persist for many weeks.¹

Urinary Tract Infections
UTIs can be characterised by painful or burning urination, a need to urinate often and pain in the lower abdomen,² and increased presence of bacteria in urine.³

Incidence
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
IC/PBS is a common condition that usually affects women in their 40s. This condition is thought to occur in around one in fifty women.¹

Urinary Tract Infections
The incidence of urinary tract infection is highest in young women. Around 10–20% of women will experience a symptomatic urinary tract infection at some time. Most infections in adult men are complicated and related to abnormalities of the urinary tract, although some can occur spontaneously in otherwise healthy young men. Urinary tract infection incidence increases with age for both sexes.³

Risk Factors
Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome
To date the cause of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome is unknown.¹ Some theories regarding its cause include¹:

• A defect in your bladder tissue, which may allow irritating substances in the urine to pass through your bladder.
• Something in the urine that damages your bladder.
• Changes in the nerves that carry bladder sensations, so pain is caused by events that are not normally painful (such as your bladder filling with urine).
• A type of allergic reaction.

Urinary Tract Infections
There are several factors that can increase the risk of UTI in adults, including²:

• pregnancy
• conditions that block the urinary tract – such as kidney stones
• conditions that make it difficult to fully empty the bladder – such as an enlarged prostate gland in men
• urinary catheters (a tube in your bladder used to drain urine)
• having a weakened immune system – for example, from type 2 diabetes, chemotherapy or HIV