When is Frequent Urination Cause for Concern?
Getting up in the middle of the night to pee is a real nuisance, but it is only sometimes a cause for concern. However, if you're getting up several times a night and taking bathroom breaks throughout the day, you may be dealing with frequent urination.
Some medications and lots of liquids cause you to urinate more than usual. But if you can't pinpoint a specific cause, though, you should be a little concerned with what's going on.
When you're urinating enough that it's interrupting your daily activities, it's time to seek a professional evaluation. At Metro Renal Associates, our team of three expert nephrologists offers a fast assessment and personalized treatment options for urinary frequency.
What causes frequent urination?
Everyone has had a day or night where it seems like they've run to the bathroom to urinate more than usual. In many cases, lifestyle choices and drinking too much throughout the day cause frequent urination.
However, some other medical conditions and issues lead to frequent urination. Any of the following conditions can cause you to pee more than usual:
- Urinary tract infections
- Interstitial cystitis
- Medications like diuretics
- Neurological disorders
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Kidney stones
- Bladder tumor
- Inflammation of the urethra
- Pelvic tumors or masses
- Polycystic kidney disease
Pregnancy is another cause of frequent urination, which isn't a cause for concern. The further along in the pregnancy, the more the baby pushes on the bladder, causing more urination than usual.
Concerning signs and symptoms
In some cases, frequent urination happens from simply drinking too much fluid or from certain medications. These instances aren't a cause for concern unless they affect your quality of life.
In other cases, frequent urination is a cause for concern, especially if it begins to affect your normal activities. If you have any of the following symptoms, you must seek treatment immediately:
- Bloody urine
- Painful urination
- Increasing thirst
- Fever
- Urinary incontinence
- Trouble urinating, even with an urge
- Nausea or vomiting
- Penile or vaginal discharge
It's also concerning if you have an extreme urge to urinate. A kidney infection is another cause of frequent urination, which can lead to permanent kidney damage without treatment.
Frequent urination can be concerning when it's related to anything that damages the kidneys long term. If you have frequent urination that persists despite cutting back on liquids, it's best to seek evaluation from our specialized team.
How is frequent urination treated?
The treatment for frequent urination depends on the cause. Sometimes, treatment is as simple as making a few lifestyle changes. If you drink a lot of water, cutting down on drinking it before bed can significantly help reduce trips to the bathroom at night. Caffeine and alcohol also lead to increased urination, so avoiding them at bedtime helps.
For urinary tract infections, we do urine testing to determine if you have an infection and typically prescribe antibiotics to clear the infection, which should cut down on the amount of urination.
Chronic health conditions like diabetes or medications like diuretics can lead to more trips to the bathroom. We can assist you with managing these issues to reduce the likelihood of frequent urination.
For conditions like an overactive bladder, we offer bladder training exercises, kegel exercises, and biofeedback therapy to strengthen the pelvic floor and reduce bathroom trips.
If you're living with frequent urination and need treatment, don't hesitate to call Metro Renal Associates today for an appointment or request a consultation using the online booking tool.