IBSs
include three related symptoms that often occur together.
- Dysuria is an unpleasant sensation of pain, discomfort, or
burning that occurs during urination.
- Urgency is when it feels like you have to urinate right
away or immediately, even sometimes if your bladder is not
full.
- Frequency is having to urinate more frequently than what
is normal for you, generally more often than every 2 hours
during the day.
People who are receiving treatment for cancer, or who have
certain urinary tests that require insertion of an instrument or
catheter into their bladder, are sometimes at risk for IBSs and
bladder infections. If you have irritative bladder symptoms your
doctor or nurse will want to conduct other tests to determine
whether there is an infection in your bladder. People who are
receiving treatment for bladder cancer through a catheter
directly into their bladder are also at risk for IBSs. This
would occur after the treatments for a few hours (but it can
last up to several days), due to the effect of the treatment
drug on the lining of the bladder. This IBS side effect usually
begins after the second or third treatment.
Learning Needs You can help prevent IBSs from occurring
or from worsening and you can help treat the symptoms when they
do occur by learning to:
- Specifically tell your doctor and nurse about your
discomfort and symptoms
- Take certain medications
- Use warmth
- Modify what you drink and eat
Prevention Although some IBSs may happen in certain
people, you may be able to prevent IBSs by:
- Drinking plenty of liquids. Try to drink at least 2 quarts
(almost 2 liters) of water every day.
- Avoiding fluids with caffeine and acid fluids (this
includes most juices). Water is best!
- Not delaying if you feel the need to urinate.
Management
1. Once you’ve experienced IBSs, you should notify your
doctor or nurse as soon as possible, describing:
- Where the discomfort is
- How bad it is
- What it feels like
- How long it lasts
- How often you feel the need to urinate
- How often you actually are urinating
- Whether your urine is pink or red
Your doctor or nurse may give you a bladder diary to record
how often you urinate and how much you are drinking.
2. You must take any medication that is prescribed to treat a
bladder infection or treat the discomfort.
3. Continue to drink a lot of nonacid and noncaffeinated
fluids, increasing the amount to 2 1/2quarts (80 ounces or 10
cups) each day while the symptoms last.
4. Take warm baths in water up to your waist to reduce
bladder pain, and use warm, moist heat for any low back pain you
feel.
Follow-up Call your physician or nurse as soon as
irritative bladder symptoms begin and if you have a new fever
along with the IBSs. Bring with you any record of urination and
fluids you have consumed when you see your doctor or nurse. When
your IBSs get better, you can return to your normal level of
drinking fluids, but it should remain at least 2 quarts (almost
2 liters) per day (64 ounces or 8 cups).
