How dangerous is frequent urination?

Adeleke Oluwabusola

Frequent urination is when you need to urinate many times throughout a 24-hour period. It means having an urge to pass urine more often than usual. It can disrupt one’s normal routine, interrupt the sleep cycle and it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

The need to urinate is something that everyone feels. This shared experience isn’t always consistent though. Sometimes you may need to urinate much more often than what is typical for you. This can happen to anyone; men, women and children can all have this symptom.

What causes frequent urination?

There are actually many different conditions that could cause frequent urination. Many of these causes are based on your age, gender or possibly even both. You could experience frequent urination a few times throughout your life for different reasons.

These conditions can range from minor and easily manageable to more serious issues like urinary tract and bladder conditions (UTI), which is the most common cause of frequent urination.

Other issues include pregnancy, diabetes, prostate problems, pelvic tumour, stroke, using diuretics (medications that help remove extra salt and water from the body through urine), vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina), prolapse of the female pelvic organs through the vagina, radiation therapy to the pelvic area and drinking too much alcohol or caffeine.

However, the characteristics of frequent urination are easier to spot. If you feel the need to pee more than four to eight times in one day, odds are that you have issues with frequent urination. You can ask yourself some questions like what medicines are you taking? How much fluid do you usually drink? Are you drinking more than usual? Do you drink alcohol or caffeine? Do you experience painful urination? Are there any changes in the color, smell or consistency of the urine?

Can frequent urination be controlled or stopped?

Frequent urination can be controlled, and often, stopped over time and with treatment. Treatment depends completely on the condition. In cases like UTI, you may need an antibiotic medication. Other conditions like diabetes or prostate problems will require you to see a doctor. If your health care provider has diagnosed you with overactive bladder syndrome, pelvic floor physical therapy may help and there are actually several medications that can be used to calm your bladder. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not these might be good options for you.

There are also several lifestyle changes and non-medicated ways to manage your frequent urination. These can include avoiding fluids before going to bed, limiting the amount of alcohol and caffeine you drink, doing Kegel exercises to build up strength in your pelvic floor; these muscles support the organs in the pelvis, including your bladder. Kegel exercises are often prescribed to women after childbirth because of the stress having a baby places on the pelvic floor muscles, wearing a protective pad or underwear to avoid leaks for short-term solution while getting treatment and bladder training.

Adeleke Oluwabusola

Ibadan

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