Frequent Urination

What is Frequent Urination?

Frequent urination is the urge to pass urine more often than you normally would. The need to urinate can come suddenly and cause you to lose control of your bladder. It can disrupt your normal routine, interrupt your sleep cycle, and could also be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Frequent urination is also referred to as urinary frequency or polyuria. Early detection of the problem can help with timely and effective treatment and avert other complications.

Causes of Frequent Urination

Some of the causes or related factors of frequent urination include:

• Urinary tract infection
• Bladder problems
• Diabetes
• Diuretics (medications used to treat blood pressure)
• Pregnancy
• Prostate problems
• Neurologic conditions
• Excessive water intake
• Excess caffeine and alcohol intake
• Overactive bladder
• Interstitial cystitis 
• Anxiety disorders

Signs and Symptoms of Frequent Urination

Symptoms usually depend upon the cause of frequent urination and may include:

• Urinary hesitancy (trouble with maintaining or starting a urine stream)
• Urinary urgency (sudden urge to urinate despite not having a full bladder)
• Urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control with accidental urine leakage)
• Painful or burning urination
• Nocturia or excessive urination at night
• Dribbling of urine at the end of urination
• Straining to initiate urine stream
• Increased thirst or appetite
• Foul-smelling urine
• Blood in the urine
• Lower abdominal pain

Diagnosis of Frequent Urination

Diagnosis usually involves a thorough physical examination and review of your medical history and symptoms. During your review, your physician may ask about:

• How long you have been having symptoms and when it began
• How often you urinate
• Current medications
• Any changes in consistency, smell, or color of the urine
• Quantity of water consumption or other fluids such as caffeine or alcohol in a day

In order to detect the exact cause of the symptoms, your physician may order diagnostic tests, such as:

• Urinalysis and urine culture to check for urine abnormality
• CT scan or plain film X-rays of the pelvis and abdomen
• Ultrasound exam for detailed images of the bladder and kidneys
• Neurological tests to check for any nerve disorder
• Testing for sexually transmitted infections

Treatment for Frequent Urination

Treatment basically aims at treating or managing the cause of frequent urination and may include the following:

• If diabetes mellitus is found to be the underlying cause of frequent urination, then your physician will recommend ways to control your blood sugar levels within a desirable range through medications, diet, and exercise.
• If an infection is found to be at fault, then antibiotics are prescribed for the elimination of infection.
• If an overactive bladder is noted to be the cause, then drugs such as anticholinergics may be utilized to control the symptoms. These drugs prevent abnormal involuntary detrusor muscle contractions from occurring in the wall of the bladder which causes frequent urination.
• If prostate problems are noted to be the cause of frequent urination, then your urologist may recommend treatments such as medications to shrink or relax the prostate or surgery.
• Injections of Botox into the bladder muscle may benefit people who have an overactive bladder that does not respond to other first-line medications.
• Your doctor may also suggest behavioral modifications such as pelvic floor exercises, maintaining a healthy weight, controlling fluid intake, scheduled regular voiding, and bladder retraining to control and calm your bladder.

Prevention of Frequent Urination

Healthy lifestyle changes can help to reduce your chances of developing frequent urination. These include:

• Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake
• Eating high-fiber foods
• Limiting foods that can irritate the bladder such as spicy foods and artificial sweeteners
• Regular exercise to strengthen muscles that support your pelvic organs including the bladder
• Refrain from drinking liquids just before going to bed
• Discussing your symptoms with your physician as soon as they occur to help prevent worsening of symptoms and enable early treatment