October 31st designated as the first ever Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 28, 2007 -- For the first time ever, the chronic, painful bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis (also known in recent years as Painful Bladder Syndrome) has been designated an official day of awareness, October 31, 2007.

1

October 31st designated as the first ever Interstitial Cystitis Awareness Day

Welcome visit Our WebSite:

http://www.icadvice.com/node/292

Interstitial Cystitis (IC), is a serious medical condition which affects the bladder, urinary system and pelvic region (its symptoms often mimic those of bladder infections or urinary tract infections, though IC has not been found thus far to be caused by bacteria, and therefore is not considered to be an infection). While no two patients experience IC exactly the same, commonly occurring symptoms include urinary frequency and urgency, intense bladder, urethral and pelvic pain; a sharp burning sensation while voiding, night time voiding (nocturia), and abdominal bloating. The severity of IC varies from patient to patient, with some feeling its effects only mildly, while others are left virtually debilitated by Interstitial Cystitis, and many others still live with a moderate, but still incredibly serious level of daily symptoms. Though IC is known to go into spontaneous remission in some cases, for many patients this never happens and they must live with the effects of IC every day of their lives.

The exact cause of IC is not known at this time, though research in this area continues to push forward. Just as IC lacks a known cause, so too is it devoid of a cure. However patients who are diagnosed with this painful bladder condition do have numerous treatment options such oral medications, bladder instillations, diet changes, TENS therapy, life style changes (stress reduction, etc), and in the most extreme of cases, surgical procedures.

This year The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health in conjunction with Ortho Women's Health & Urology have put forward October 31st as a day to help spread awareness, recognition and education of this little known and sometimes misunderstood bladder condition.

On behalf of the Interstitial Cystitis community, the patient based Interstitial Cystitis website, www.icadvice.com (founded three years ago by an IC patient) has created a page to help spread and promote much needed Interstitial Cystitis awareness. In addition to providing information about IC awareness, this site is home to a vast amount of helpful patient resources (articles, FAQ, self-help tips), IC friendly recipes, and an IC forum.

ICadvice encourages the public to help to spread awareness and recognition of this complex, chronic and at times baffling, condition by taking a few moments to talk about IC with those who you feel may want (or need) to know about it, or by expressing your love and support to anyone in your life who is battling IC. One way that you can show your support for IC on October 31st, is by wearing a turquoise or blue awareness ribbon, as these two colors are both used to represent Interstitial Cystitis Awareness.

Current figures suggest that IC effects more than a million people in the United States alone, that's one in every 300 Americans, only slightly less than the number who are affected by Lupus, a far more widely known condition. IC doesn't discriminate, it can strike anyone at anytime (though it is more prevalent amongst women), which is all the more reason why it pays to know what the signs and symptoms of IC are. In the words of ICadvice, "Together we can help to educate the public about IC by bringing some much needed attention to Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome and the many ways in which it can impact people of all ages and walks of life".

More information can be found online at http://www.icadvice.com/node/292

awareness     halloween     health     IC     IC awareness day     Interstitial Cystitis     medical     October 31st     PBS     urology