Typically, a person may urinate 7-8 times a day. Frequent urination is the need to ease yourself more than this usual number. It can happen to anyone, but mainly, this issue is observed among elderly people, pregnant women, and people having enlarged prostate.
Apart from that, there are various reasons that cause frequent urination. Read to the end to find out what causes frequent urination.
What Causes Frequent Urination?
Frequent urination happens when the urinary tract is facing an irregularity (1).
The urinary tract is made up of 3 parts: kidneys, ureters (tubes that connect kidneys to the bladder), bladder, and the urethra (tube through which urine exits the body).
You May Pass More Urine Than Usual for the Following Reasons:
- Changes in muscles, nerves or other tissues that affect the functioning of the bladder
- Infection
- Disease
- Injury or irritation of the bladder
- Some cancer treatments (2)
- Drinking excessive water
- Certain medications may make you excrete more
- Being overweight that exerts extra pressure on the bladder
- Old age
- Holding urine for a long time or not emptying the bladder fully
Beside These, There Are Various Urinary Tract (Uti) Conditions That May Cause Frequent Urination. They Are:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Bladder cancer
- Bladder stones
- Interstitial cystitis
- Changes in kidney
- Kidney infection (also known as pyelonephritis)
- Prostatitis
- Overactive bladder (3)
- Urethral infection (narrowing of the urethra)
- Urinary tract infection
- Urinary incontinence
Other causes of frequent urination include:
- Anterior vaginal prolapse (cystocele)
- Drinking alcohol or caffeine
- Diuretics
- Diabetes insipidus (4)
- Type 1 diabetes
- Type 2 diabetes
- Radiation treatment affecting the pelvis or lower abdomen
- Vaginitis
- Neurological conditions like stroke and multiple sclerosis
- Anxiety
- Weakened pelvic floor muscles
Some other symptoms are prevalent when a person undergoes the problem of frequent urination. These include:
- Feeling discomfort or pain while passing urine
- Leaking urine
- Having trouble passing urine
- Strong urge to pass urine
- Passing urine having unusual colour
Women are more susceptible to frequent urination as they have higher chances of having urinary tract infections. A female’s urethra is shorter as compared to the penis in men. This makes the bacteria travel a lesser distance before they can infect the urinary tract. Such UTI risk factors include:
- Improper wiping after using the restroom that exposes the urethra to E. coli infection
- Sexual intercourse with an infected person
- Fibroids (5)
- Low estrogen levels due to menopause
Symptoms Related to Frequent Urination
Though regular urinary frequency can differ from person to person, on average, urinating 8 times a day can be safely considered normal.
Other symptoms related to frequent urination depend on the cause of urination:
- Urinary urgency, urinary incontinence, or nocturia (waking up multiple times at night to urinate). The person doesn’t feel pain while passing the urine.
- Urinary incontinence, strong-smelling urine, blood in the urine, fever, lower abdominal pain and burning or pain during urination, chills, nausea are other symptoms associated with UTI.
- Other conditions that affect the prostate and bladder might cause painful urination or blood in the urine.
- Pelvic floor dysfunction might also result in painful urination.
If you visit a doctor, he will diagnose you through various questions about frequent urination.
Your urine sample will be checked for infection and abnormal findings like protein or sugar and blood.
Physical examination like pelvic examination, prostate examination and an evaluation of the urethra and vagina can also be conducted.
Other tests include-
- Cystoscopy: Using a lighted instrument, the doctor checks inside the bladder to take a tissue sample.
- Bladder scan: An ultrasound test to check the bladder after urination to see how much urine is left.
- Additional urinary testing: Tests like urodynamic testing and uroflowmetry to check the functioning of the urinary system.
How to Stop Frequent Urination?
Depending on the cause, treatment for frequent urination might vary. Once the cause is determined after a proper diagnosis, the doctor will suggest antibiotics, if it is a bacterial infection or other medications if the muscle spasms are causing urinary incontinence.
Pelvic exercises are also recommended by the doctor to help delay urination.
Some other measures that help to prevent frequent urination are:
- Diet: Avoid food and drinks like alcohol, citrus juice, coffee, tea, etc, at night to prevent night time urination. Constipation can also cause frequent urination, putting extra pressure on the bladder.
- Physical activity: Physical therapies like Kegel exercises that strengthen the pelvic muscles help to support the bladder and pelvic organs.
Conclusion
Frequent urination has multiple causes. If you feel that you are urinating more than usual, check your daily routine and diet. Conditions like pregnancy or a sudden diet change like overconsumption of beverages may not be an alarming situation. But if you are following a regular routine and have no specific condition, then you need to be vigilant.
Issues like urinary tract infections and overactive bladder are the most common causes of frequent urination that can be controlled mainly by taking suitable precautions. However, both these issues are curable. Changing lifestyle may also sometimes assist in reducing frequent urination.
If the problems persist for a long time, consult a doctor and take medical advice. It is vital that the underlying cause of the issue is properly diagnosed and treated on time.
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