How does my doctor know I have interstitial cystitis?
Your doctor will ask you questions about your medical history. He or she may also ask you to keep track of how much fluid you drink, how often your urinate and how much urine you pass.
Your doctor will rule out other diseases such as urinary tract infections, bladder cancer, endometriosis, kidney stones, sexually transmitted infections, chronic prostatitis in men and vaginal infections in women.
Your doctor may also refer you to a urologist (a doctor whose specialty is problems of the urinary tract). The urologist may use a special scope (called a cytoscope) to look inside your bladder for inflammation, pinpoint bleeding or ulcers. These things could indicate that you have interstitial cystitis.
Source
Interstitial Cystitis: Urgency and Frequency Syndrome by JF Metts (American Family Physician October 01, 2001, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20011001/1199.html)
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff
Reviewed/Updated: 08/10
Created: 10/01