What constitutes frequent urination?
Frequent urination means you’re going to the bathroom more often than is normal for you. There’s no set, standard amount of trips to the bathroom you need to take per day before your condition qualifies as frequent urination, and the amount you urinate on each trip doesn’t define it either.
With that said, most people are able to store urine in their bladder until there’s a bathroom available and end up going between four to eight times a day. If you need to go more than eight times a day, every day, or if you’re routinely waking up in the night to go to the bathroom, there could be a problem.
That doesn’t mean nine is a magic number, but if you’re going that often, especially if that’s not what you’re used to, you may have frequent urination. The cause could be as simple and easy to correct as drinking too much water or drinking water too close to bedtime. However, it could also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition.
What conditions cause frequent urination?
Frequent urination may be a sign of a number of different medical conditions, including:
- Diabetes, because your body is trying to get rid of excess glucose by urinating more
- Prostate problems, including enlarged prostate, which can cause you to frequently urinate small amounts by making your bladder contract more often
- Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, which usually also includes abdominal pain, fever, and a constant, urgent need to urinate
- Interstitial cystitis, also known as painful bladder syndrome, causes pelvic pain along with frequent urination
The team at Metro Renal Associates may prescribe a diuretic, or water pill, to treat conditions like high blood pressure or hyperkalemia (high potassium). Diuretics are meant to rid your body of excess fluid and salt that may be causing frequent urination.
How is frequent urination treated?
The team at Metro Renal Associates diagnoses frequent urination by performing a physical exam and asking about your symptoms. To prepare for your appointment, it helps to keep track of how often you’re urinating, what time of day you urinate most, whether there have been any changes to your fluid intake, and what medications you’re taking.
Treatment for frequent urination is based on treating any underlying conditions, and may include:
- A course of antibiotics for a urinary tract infection
- Management of blood sugar levels for diabetes
- Changing the time of day you take your diuretics, lowering your dose, or finding an alternative medicine for your high blood pressure or hyperkalemia
To diagnose and treat frequent urination, call Metro Renal Associates or schedule an appointment online today.
