Frequent urination is characterized by the urge to urinate more often than is normal for you. This is a symptom that could be caused by a variety of conditions that vary for men.
Causes
There are many different potential causes for frequent urination, but there are some that are more common among men. These include:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia: Also known as prostate gland enlargement, this is a condition that becomes more common in men as they get older. This condition often causes many bothersome urinary symptoms because when the prostate gland is enlarged, it can cause the flow or urine out of the bladder to be blocked. When untreated, this can lead to problems with the urinary tract, including frequent urination.
- Prostatitis: This is a condition that causes swelling and inflammation of the prostate gland, which is a walnut-sized gland that is located directly below the bladder in men. Because of the close proximity to the bladder, when the prostate is inflamed or swollen, this can lead to difficult, painful, and frequent urination.
- Diabetes: Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are both common causes of frequent urination. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, learning how to properly manage your condition will generally result in uncomfortable symptoms such as frequent urination to dissipate.
- Urethral stricture: This is a condition that is often the result of frequent urinary tract infections in men. Urethra stricture occurs when scarring in the urethra leads to a restriction of the flow of urine from the bladder. This can cause frequent or urgent urination, as well as other medical problems in the urinary tract, such as inflammation and infection. This condition is more common in men because men have a longer urethra than women.
- Overactive bladder syndrome: This is a syndrome that is very common in Americans, men and women alike. Overactive bladder is caused by frequent, involuntary contractions of the bladder that causes you to feel like you need to use the restroom more often than you should.
Treatments
Treating frequent urination will depend on what underlying cause is contributing to your symptoms. Your doctor will likely order some tests to examine your urine in order to determine what is causing the frequent urination you are experiencing. Once you have received a diagnosis, your doctor will help you come up with a treatment plan that will fit your specific needs.
If your frequent urination problems are related to issues with the prostate, there are several treatment options for this, including medications or surgery.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, then learning how to manage your blood sugar levels will usually help to relieve symptoms such as frequent urination as well.
If your frequent urination problems are due to overactive bladder syndrome, then your doctor will likely recommend some strategies and lifestyle changes that can help to reduce your symptoms. These include:
- Monitoring your fluid intake: Try to avoid drinking before bedtime, as this will increase your risk of nighttime urination.
- Doing kegel exercises: These are exercises that will help you strengthen your urethra and bladder muscles and help you gain better control over your urination habits.
- Modifying your diet: Try to avoid foods and drinks that will irritate your bladder and increase your symptoms, such as caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, spicy foods, artificial sweeteners, tomato-based products, and chocolate.
- Retraining your bladder: This is a technique that involves teaching your bladder to hold urine longer by increasing bathroom intervals over the course of 12 weeks.
