Frequent urination is a term that describes the need to urinate more often than is normal for you. Frequent urination is often accompanied by urgent urination, which is a sudden, overwhelming desire to get to a restroom immediately. Frequent and urgent urination can interfere with your life and begin to negatively affect your sleep, work, and general well-being. Determining the cause behind your symptoms is the first step towards finding a treatment plan.
Frequent Urination Causes
Frequent urination is often caused by a disease or condition that is affecting the urinary tract, which includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Some specific disease and conditions that often have frequent urination as a symptom include:
- Anterior prolapse: This a condition that occurs when the tissue between a woman’s bladder and vaginal wall weakens and stretches, which allows the bladder to bulge into the vagina.
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia: This is also known as prostate gland enlargement, and it is a common condition that affects men as they get older.
- Bladder stones: Bladder stones are hard masses of minerals that develop inside of your bladder.
- Diabetes: Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can cause you to experience frequent urination.
- Diuretics: Also known as water pills, diuretics help rid your body of sodium and water.
- Interstitial cystitis: Also called painful bladder syndrome, this is a chronic condition that causes you to experience bladder pressure and pain that can range from mild to severe.
- Kidney infection: This is a type of urinary tract infection that has traveled from your urethra and bladder into your kidneys.
- Overactive bladder: This is a condition that causes a problem with the function of your bladder storage and causes frequent, sudden urges to urinate.
- Pregnancy: This is problem is especially evident during the third trimester, when there is excess pressure on the bladder.
- Prostatitis: This is a condition that causes swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland in men.
- Urinary incontinence: This is a condition that causes a sudden, complete loss of bladder control.
- Urethral stricture: This is a condition that occurs when there is scarring that narrows the tube that carries urine out of your body.
- Urinary tract infection: This is an infection of any part of your urinary tract, including your kidneys, bladder, ureters, or urethra.
- Vaginitis: This is an inflammation of the vagina that can cause discharge, itching, and pain.
Frequent Urination Risk Factors
There are several factors that will increase your risk for developing frequent urination. These include:
- Excess consumption of fluids, especially alcohol or caffeine
- Undergoing certain cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy that affects the pelvis or lower abdomen
- Having an infection that affects your bladder
- Undergoing surgery that involves the bladder
- Experiencing an injury to the bladder
- Having any condition that is associated with increased urine production
- Changes in the muscles, nerves, or other tissues that are involved with bladder function, such as your kidneys
- Being excessively anxious
