[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-435672-105":59,"doc-detail-435672-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","post-covid-19-interstitial-cystitis-and-bladder-dysfunction-a-growing-concern-for-public-health","Post-COVID-19 interstitial cystitis and bladder dysfunction - a growing concern for public health","","Letter to the editor on interstitial cystitis (IC), also termed bladder pain syndrome (BPS), describing it as a chronic nonbacterial, idiopathic bladder inflammation with persistent pelvic/bladder pain, urinary urgency and frequency, and nocturia. Bladder dysfunction is linked to neurogenic, psychogenic, infectious, and hormonal/metabolic causes. It explains how SARS-CoV-2, via ACE2-mediated multisystem involvement and immune cytokine overproduction, may contribute to bladder inflammation and subsequent urinary symptoms, including potential effects on nervous pathways that worsen outcomes, and emphasizes the need for further research and clinical awareness for post-COVID genitourinary sequelae.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/post-covid-19-interstitial-cystitis-and-bladder-dysfunction-a-growing-concern-for-public-health/435672/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/post-covid-19-interstitial-cystitis-and-bladder-dysfunction-a-growing-concern-for-public-health/435672.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"anakgang17","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-04","2026-09-29",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is interstitial cystitis (IC) and what symptoms does it cause?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Interstitial cystitis, also known as bladder pain syndrome, is an idiopathic, nonbacterial bladder condition marked by ongoing pelvic/bladder pain, urinary urgency and frequency, and nocturia.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How might COVID-19 contribute to bladder inflammation and urinary dysfunction?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The letter links COVID-19 to SARS-CoV-2–related inflammation, including cytokine overproduction that may damage bladder mucosa. This damage can increase urinary frequency and nocturia in affected patients.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Why do the authors say further research is needed?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The text states that comprehensive studies are still required to clarify root causes, risk factors, and long-term consequences of post-COVID-19 cystitis and associated urinary dysfunctions, alongside greater clinical awareness for management.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},435672,1790765156,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":14,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":24,"preview_page_count":4},962090883568,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","Letter to the Editor  \nPost-COVID-19 interstitial cystitis and bladder dysfunction: a growing concern for public health  \nAleeza Abid, MBBSa , Mubashira Noor, MBBSa , Malik Olatunde Oduoye, BScb ,*  \nDear Editor,  \nInterstitial cystitis (IC), also known as bladder pain syndrome (BPS), is an ongoing condition of the bladder marked by inflammation of the bladder, constant pelvic or bladder pain, urinary urgency, urinary frequency, and nocturia as well. Unlike other urinary tract infections (UTIs), interstitial cystitis is an idiopathic and nonbacterial condition[1,2] . Bladder dysfunction simply means the bladder is not able to store or empty urine normally. The causative agent of bladder dysfunction may be neurogenic, psychogenic, infectious agents, and hormonal and metabolic conditions as well.  \nCOVID-19 is induced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which gains entry into host cells via the receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a homolog of ACE that plays a significant role in the renin–angiotensin system. While SARS-CoV-2 primarily contaminates the respiratory tract, its ability to influence multiple organs is due to the widespread presence ofACE2 in the human body, leading to damage in various organs[3] . SARSCoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, may also cause local inflammation of the bladder, which hyper-activates the body’s immune response, resulting in the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 6. These proinflammatory molecules have been detected in the urine and serum of patients with COVID-19 . The presence of these mediators in urine can damage the bladder mucosa, and due to this damage, increased urinary frequency and nocturia can be observed in such patients[2] .  \nThese pro-inflammatory mediators associated with the SARSCoV-2 virus may also affect the central and peripheral nervous systems by causing neuronal demyelination, which ultimately results in nerve damage. One of these nerves may be the pudendal nerve, which plays a key role in bladder function. Demyelination and damage to the pudendal nerve can cause  \naDepartment of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan and bDepartment of Research, The Medical Research Circle (MedReC), Goma, Congo Sponsorships or competing interests that may be relevant to content are disclosed at the end of this article.  \n*Corresponding author. Address: Department of Research, The Medical Research Circle (MedReC), P.O. Box 73, Goma, Congo. Tel.: +2349035928801.  \n[E-mail: malikolatunde36@gmail.com](E-mail: malikolatunde36@gmail.com) (M.O. Oduoye).  \nCopyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.  \nAnnals of Medicine & Surgery (2026) 88:1078–1079  \nReceived 11 November 2025; Accepted 13 November 2025  \nPublished online 25 November 2025  \n[http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000004428](http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MS9.0000000000004428)  \nbladder incontinence, further complicating the urinary symptoms experienced by patients with COVID-19[4] .  \nRecent observations suggest that COVID-19 can impact the genitourinary system. Specifically,“COVID-19-associated cystitis” has been identified in adult patients who have had COVID- 19 and experience symptoms such as urinary frequency and nocturia[4] . Mumm et al first observed increased urinary frequency in 7 males out of 57 patients admitted to their COVID- 19 wards. In other observations, all the COVID-19 positive patients (7 females and 32 males; all African American) developed de novo urinary symptoms without urinary tract infection by urine culture[2] . In recent years, there has been an increased burden in managing post-COVID pain symp","cbCaidamGfBHpaLB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaidamGfBHpaLB","pdf",176136,"English","# Interstitial cystitis and bladder dysfunction\n## Clinical features and causes\n## Potential mechanisms after SARS-CoV-2 infection\n## Evidence from reported observations\n## Research needs and clinical implications\n## Declarations and publication information","[{\"question\":\"What is interstitial cystitis (IC) and what symptoms does it cause?\",\"answer\":\"Interstitial cystitis, also known as bladder pain syndrome, is an idiopathic, nonbacterial bladder condition marked by ongoing pelvic/bladder pain, urinary urgency and frequency, and nocturia.\"},{\"question\":\"How might COVID-19 contribute to bladder inflammation and urinary dysfunction?\",\"answer\":\"The letter links COVID-19 to SARS-CoV-2–related inflammation, including cytokine overproduction that may damage bladder mucosa. This damage can increase urinary frequency and nocturia in affected patients.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do the authors say further research is needed?\",\"answer\":\"The text states that comprehensive studies are still required to clarify root causes, risk factors, and long-term consequences of post-COVID-19 cystitis and associated urinary dysfunctions, alongside greater clinical awareness for management.\"}]","Post-COVID-19 interstitial cystitis and bladder dysfunction - a growing concern for public health | PDF",1790674712]