Diagnosis of IC/BPS may require some tests but usually a careful history and thorough examination by your doctor are the most crucial elements to make a diagnosis of IC/BPS. A routine urine examination along with urine culture and sensitivity testing are mandatory to make an initial diagnosis. Typically in an IC/BPS patient these tests are negative despite your symptoms mimicking a urinary tract infection.
A bladder diary is very important to not only understand your disease but also manage it in a better way. To make this diary you need to print our voiding diary page so that you can record the daily fluid related activities of your day. You have to note the time, amount of water taken and the amount of urine passed in this diary on a given day. You must discard the first urine of the day and then onwards start measuring the urine output uptil the next days morning urine. You will need to pass urine in a container from which you can measure or estimate the amount of urine passed.
Please try to maintain your usual routine and so not try to perform during this test. With the help of the voiding diary the doctor will be able to understand the capacity of your bladder, the distress due to disease and the test will also help to rule out other similar diseases like overactive bladder in which there is leakage of urine (Incontinence).
The ultrasound is one of the basic tests that can further help your doctor to rule out other confusable disease such as stones, tumors and kidney problems.
Cystoscopy is a frequently employed diagnostic tool which also provides relief in patients with IC/BPS. It is a simple daycare procedure performed under general anesthesia in which your Urologist will try to look into the bladder to look for signs of Interstitial Cystitis such as Hunners lesions and glomerulations.
There are many other tests such as Urodynamics, Urine Cytology and patient questionnaires that can help your doctor to differentiate IC/BPS from other similar diseases and put you on the right treatment.
| Mandatory (Essential) |
Recommended (In selected cases) |
Optional |
| Clinical history
Physical Examinations Frequency Volume chart Urinalysis Ultrasonography* |
Urine culture**
Urine cytology*** Symptom scores# QOL scores Frequency-volume chart Cystoscopy |
Urodynamic study
Bladder Biopsy |