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Frequent urges to urinate can cause discomfort and inconvenience. Medically referred to as polyuria, this condition is characterized by the need to urinate multiple times within a 24-hour period.
Polyuria can indicate the presence of several different disorders and can be managed through various treatment options.
Nocturia, which is the need to wake up repeatedly during sleep to urinate, can disrupt your sleep pattern.
This condition can lead to changes in daily routines and social isolation due to feelings of low self-esteem and embarrassment. Consequently, the overall quality of life can be negatively impacted.
In some cases, healthcare providers can help manage this issue by treating the underlying cause. However, the sense of shame and embarrassment may prevent individuals from seeking a diagnosis and treatment, which can make the condition even more difficult to manage. (1)
Take a deeper look at this issue and learn a few things that may be helpful for you or your loved ones.
What Commonly Causes Frequent Urination?
Numerous diverse disorders can cause frequent urination. You can experience frequent urination often throughout your life for separate reasons. These conditions can vary from minor to more severe problems.
Some common causes of frequent urination are as follows.
1. Urinary tract infections
Urinary tract infections are particularly the most commonly found cause of frequent urination. They are bacterial infections of the bladder and other structures of the urinary system.
Typical manifestations of urinary tract infections are: (2)
- Increased urinary frequency
- Urinary urgency
- Abdominal discomfort
- Dysuria
2. Other urinary tract conditions
Various other ailments associated with the urinary system can cause frequent urination. These include: (2)(3)(4)
- Interstitial cystitis (a chronic bladder condition causing pain and pressure in the pelvic area)
- Overactive bladder syndrome
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney stones
3. Pregnancy
When you’re pregnant, your bladder is pressed as the growing fetus uses more space inside your body. So, it’s no doubt that frequent urination is an expected and typical symptom of pregnancy.
Symptoms such as increased urination can be attributed to an overactive bladder because of regular physiological changes during pregnancy, and it usually settles down after the delivery. (5)
4. Diabetes
Diabetes is a disorder commonly linked with increased urination (polyuria) and excessive thirst (polydipsia).
In nondiabetics, all of the glucose is reabsorbed in the blood and therefore none is seen in the urine, but in a diabetic patient, glucose is not completely reabsorbed. This causes the excretion of glucose in the urine.
Since glucose is a solute, it draws more water into the urine, leading to a production of a high volume of urine, causing polyuria or frequent urination. (6)
How Do I Know That It’s Frequent Urination?
Polyuria is characterized by the voiding of large amounts of urine, exceeding the typical daily urine output in adults, which ranges from 1 to 2 liters.
A normal urine output for an individual is between 0.5 and 1.5 cc/kg/hour, and it is recommended that a person urinates at least every 6 hours.
The markers of frequent urination are straightforward to spot. If you feel the necessity to urinate more than 5–6 times every day, chances are that you suffer from frequent urination. Your doctor may ask you a couple of questions to confirm the same. (7)
What Can I Do to Control Frequent Urination?
Many lifestyle interventions and other easy methods can be implemented to handle frequent urination. (8)
1. Lifestyle interventions
Lifestyle changes that can help lessen frequent urination include: (8)
- Modifying dietary habits
- Drinking 6–7 glasses or 8 oz of fluid every day
- Avoiding alcohol
- Limiting coffee and tea intake
2. Delaying urination by 20 seconds
Experts also advise that to manage polyuria, you can try delaying urination by distracting yourself for a few seconds to see if the urge is psychological.
This can be done following the 20-second rule, which says that if you take more than 20 seconds to decide whether you’ll go for urination or not, you’re more likely not to do it.
3. Performing Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises can be used as a daily routine to manage pelvic floor weakness, which can cause frequent urination. While there are various treatments available for this condition, Kegel exercises are one of the most popular options.
These exercises are typically personalized for each individual. So, you can ask your healthcare provider to help out with your Kegel exercise chart. (9)(10)
To perform Kegel exercises, tighten and hold the muscles you would use to stop urinating, hold for 5 seconds, and then relax for 5 seconds. Repeat this 10–15 times, a few times a day.
What Factors Can Trigger Frequent Urination?
Increased thirst and taking multiple medications can contribute to frequent urination.
Increased thirst
Experts explain how polyuria can also result from excessive fluid intake, a condition known as polydipsia.
Excessive consumption of water is often observed in individuals with psychiatric disorders such as depression and those with an anxious personality type. This condition is termed psychogenic polydipsia. (11)
Multiple medication intake
The use of multiple medications, or polypharmacy, in elderly people can lead to urinary symptoms or can worsen an underlying bladder disorder. Medications such as diuretics, anticholinergics, narcotics, antidepressants, and sedatives can be responsible for this.
Managing polypharmacy can be done by modifying medication type, terminating medication use, or adjusting the dosage, but only after consulting a healthcare professional. (12)
Who Are at an Increased Risk of Frequent Urination?
Various factors can increase the risk of frequent urination. These include people with: (1)
- Prostatic hyperplasia (enlargement of the prostate gland)
- Urinary tract infection
- Diabetes mellitus
- Arterial hypertension
- Cardiac diseases
- Obesity
- Respiratory problems
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Menopause in women
- Poor quality of life
- Alcohol use
- Medicines such as lithium
- Cranial diabetes insipidus (a condition that affects water metabolism)
- Constipation
- Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (a disorder in which the kidneys are unable to properly conserve water)
Is Polyuria Painful?
Polyuria, or frequent urination, can be a symptom of various disorders. Thus, pain associated with frequent urination can be caused by several conditions.
Here are some points related to frequent urination and associated symptoms:
- Pain originating from the kidneys or ureters may be felt in the flanks or lower back and may radiate to other areas.
- Pain caused by kidney stones is typically severe pain in the abdomen and can be very intense. (13)
- Acute urinary retention can cause agonizing suprapubic pain, while chronic urinary retention may be asymptomatic. (14)
- Dysuria, or painful urination, is a symptom of bladder or urethral irritation. (15)
- Prostatic pain may manifest as discomfort or fullness in the perineal, rectal, or suprapubic regions.
When to See a Doctor
If you are concerned about why you’re urinating quite frequently, it is reasonable to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. It can be a manifestation of an underlying disease and, thus, can be treated with proper interventions.
You should look for professional medical advice if the problem of frequent urination negatively impacts your quality of life, hinders your daily chores, disrupts your social life, or is accompanied by other serious symptoms.
See a doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms with frequent urination:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Back pain
- Blood in the urine
- Urinary/genital discharge
- Family history of diabetes mellitus
Final Word
If you see yourself going to the washroom quite frequently to alleviate the feeling of a full bladder during the day or night, you could be struggling with a health issue called polyuria or frequent urination. It is extremely inconvenient and can be due to many underlying conditions.
Even though it’s uncomfortable and pretty stressful, it can be treated and managed with the help of the right advice and therapeutic interventions by a healthcare provider. So, don’t worry much!
Continue Reading10 Home Remedies to Control Frequent Urination
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